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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: game · charge · safe · jam · chip · net · land · bulb

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. net — in sport
  3. land — a country
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. net — after costs
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. chip — for betting
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. net — for catching
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. chip — to eat
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bulb — for light
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bulb — for light
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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