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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: chip · fine · charge · band · arm · race · roll · lean

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. fine — high quality
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. race — the arms race
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. lean — to bend
  11. race — humankind
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. race — a contest
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lean — thin
  16. fine — all right
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. charge — a price
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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