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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: chip · track · wave · sharp · stand · charge · cell · ball

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. sharp — clever
  3. track — to keep track
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cell — in biology
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. charge — a price
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. track — a song
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. charge — electricity
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. charge — in control
  20. track — a path
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cell — a phone

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