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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: chip · squash · saw · mouse · mug · bank · charge · field

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. squash — the sport
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mug — a cup
  5. chip — to eat
  6. field — for sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. field — farmland
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mug — to rob
  16. field — a subject
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. charge — in control
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mug — a face
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. charge — a price
  24. squash — to crush

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