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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: fan · chip · squash · charge · race · scale · can · game

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. race — a contest
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. race — humankind
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. can — to be able to
  8. charge — in control
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chip — for betting
  11. race — the arms race
  12. can — a tin
  13. game — a match
  14. chip — to eat
  15. squash — the sport
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. charge — a price
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. can — a tin
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. squash — to crush

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