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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: game · rest · chip · mouse · firm · fork · charge · pass

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rest — a break
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. charge — a price
  11. firm — steady
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. chip — to eat
  18. charge — in control
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fork — in a road
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. charge — electricity

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