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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: lie · chip · land · game · race · charge · net · sharp

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. charge — in control
  3. lie — to recline
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. game — a match
  8. net — for catching
  9. race — a contest
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. net — after costs
  14. race — humankind
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. charge — electricity
  17. sharp — clever
  18. net — in sport
  19. race — the arms race
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. charge — a price
  24. land — a country

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