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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.

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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: wax · charge · racket · spell · band · chip · kid · stand

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. band — a music group
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. kid — to tease
  5. chip — for betting
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spell — a short time
  8. kid — child
  9. stand — to bear
  10. chip — to eat
  11. charge — in control
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. charge — a price
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. charge — electricity
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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