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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 · chip · stand · bore · fall · bark · charge · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. charge — in control
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fall — the season
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. game — a match
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. charge — a price
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bark — to shout

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