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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: sharp · club · saw · bay · spell · roll · charge · chip

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. club — for golf
  5. chip — for betting
  6. club — a group
  7. roll — a list
  8. charge — a price
  9. chip — to eat
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. spell — letters
  13. saw — the tool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. saw — the tool
  20. spell — magic
  21. roll — a cake
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. charge — electricity

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