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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: hand · drill · charge · chip · cue · wave · sharp · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. chip — to eat
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. drill — army training
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. charge — electricity
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. drill — a practice
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. hand — help

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