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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 120 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: charge · kid · fine · chip · current · rush · wave · ground

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. current — electric
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. current — happening now
  6. fine — all right
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. charge — electricity
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fine — high quality
  13. current — of water
  14. chip — to eat
  15. charge — in control
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. charge — a price
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rush — hurry
  24. kid — child

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