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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.

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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.

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: game · rash · season · dip · staff · stick · tube · charge

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. charge — a price
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. charge — electricity
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. staff — employees
  11. tube — the underground
  12. season — in sport
  13. rash — a series
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. charge — in control
  19. game — wild animals
  20. staff — employees
  21. tube — a container
  22. staff — a stick
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rash — hasty

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