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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: roll · kid · chip · ground · shower · march · rule · charge

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. shower — rain
  4. roll — a cake
  5. chip — for betting
  6. march — the month
  7. ground — the earth
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. charge — electricity
  10. shower — to wash
  11. roll — a list
  12. chip — to eat
  13. march — music
  14. rule — a law
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rule — government
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. march — the month
  21. kid — to tease
  22. ground — a position
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. kid — child

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