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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.

Make a worksheet

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: charge · plane · fork · game · chip · mug · straw · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. charge — electricity
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mug — a cup
  5. charge — in control
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mug — a face
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. chip — to eat
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. game — a match
  17. plane — a tool
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. mug — to rob
  24. charge — a price

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