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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.

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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: game · wound · squash · stand · chip · season · charge · last

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. last — to go on
  3. season — of the year
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. last — final
  9. game — wild animals
  10. season — in sport
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. squash — to crush
  14. charge — electricity
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. last — finally
  17. game — a match
  18. charge — in control
  19. wound — an injury
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. charge — a price
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. game — a kind of play

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