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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 116 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.

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 · chip · rock · patient · court · land · squash · straw

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. chip — for betting
  3. squash — the sport
  4. charge — in control
  5. rock — a stone
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. chip — to eat
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. court — of law
  17. rock — music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. chip — in a computer

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