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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: kick · game · chip · row · bore · rash · land · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rash — a series
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. chip — for betting
  6. row — a line
  7. land — a country
  8. bore — to drill
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. land — ground
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rash — hasty
  13. land — to come down
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. chip — to eat
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. kick — in football
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. row — to paddle
  23. charge — a price
  24. kick — with a leg

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