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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: chip · jam · swing · charge · ground · rush · degree · hide

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. swing — music
  3. chip — for betting
  4. ground — a position
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. charge — in control
  8. rush — hurry
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. degree — from a university
  12. ground — the earth
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. degree — an amount
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. charge — a price
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. charge — electricity
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. degree — temperature
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — to play on

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