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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
468
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 · fan · stock · roll · charge · snap · kid · staff

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. charge — a price
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. charge — in control
  6. kid — child
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. stock — shares
  9. chip — to eat
  10. roll — a list
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. kid — to tease
  15. charge — electricity
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. roll — a cake
  24. stock — goods

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