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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 116 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: mate · file · can · club · trunk · chip · swing · charge

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. can — a tin
  3. mate — to breed
  4. charge — a price
  5. chip — for betting
  6. club — a group
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. can — to be able to
  9. club — for golf
  10. swing — music
  11. file — a line of people
  12. swing — in golf
  13. charge — electricity
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. can — a tin
  16. club — for dancing
  17. file — a tool
  18. mate — a friend
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mate — a partner
  21. file — a document
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. charge — in control

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