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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: season · roll · jam · tube · sharp · charge · chip · lash

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. charge — electricity
  3. season — of the year
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. charge — a price
  7. season — in sport
  8. roll — a list
  9. tube — the underground
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. chip — for betting
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. charge — in control
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. tube — a container
  18. roll — a cake
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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