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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: scale · bore · chair · current · game · chip · drill · charge

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. current — happening now
  3. bore — to drill
  4. scale — size or range
  5. game — wild animals
  6. charge — electricity
  7. drill — a practice
  8. scale — in music
  9. current — electric
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. drill — army training
  12. chip — to eat
  13. game — a match
  14. chair — a leader
  15. current — of water
  16. bore — to tire
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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