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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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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 · game · dip · wind · race · roll · fork · charge

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. dip — to sink
  5. race — humankind
  6. charge — in control
  7. fork — in a road
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. chip — to eat
  12. charge — a price
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. roll — a list
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. chip — for betting
  18. race — the arms race
  19. charge — electricity
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. race — a contest
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wind — moving air
  24. roll — a cake

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