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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · key · cap · charge · land · bass · racket · saw

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. land — a country
  4. bass — the fish
  5. saw — the tool
  6. key — for a lock
  7. charge — a price
  8. chip — for betting
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. land — ground
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. key — in music
  18. charge — in control
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bass — low music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chip — to eat
  23. key — the most important part
  24. chip — in a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com