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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: cabinet · mate · chest · chip · charge · current · roll · kid

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. charge — in control
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chest — a box
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. charge — a price
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. chest — of your body
  11. current — electric
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. roll — a list
  14. current — of water
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. current — happening now
  17. chest — of your body
  18. kid — child
  19. chip — to eat
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. kid — to tease

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