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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 124 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.

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

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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: ball · chip · firm · charge · fan · race · land · bowl

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. firm — steady
  10. charge — electricity
  11. land — to come down
  12. firm — a company
  13. race — humankind
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chip — for betting
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. charge — a price
  20. race — a contest
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. firm — decided

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