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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: press · wake · charge · mark · band · game · chip · can

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. charge — in control
  5. press — to push
  6. game — a match
  7. band — a ring
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. can — a tin
  11. game — wild animals
  12. press — a publisher
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. chip — for betting
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mark — a grade
  17. can — to be able to
  18. charge — a price
  19. band — a music group
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. can — a tin
  24. wake — a trail

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