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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: cap · chip · fan · cue · squash · mine · charge · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. chip — to eat
  3. charge — in control
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chip — for betting
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mine — for digging
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bound — obliged
  19. charge — a price
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cap — of ice
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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