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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: charge · land · dip · ruler · scale · chip · cap · bear

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. charge — in control
  4. land — to come down
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cap — of ice
  8. scale — size or range
  9. cap — a hat
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bear — the animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bear — the animal
  17. scale — in music
  18. charge — electricity
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. land — ground
  21. chip — for betting
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. land — a country
  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