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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: swing · chip · pop · fan · charge · stick · spell · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. charge — electricity
  3. spell — magic
  4. chip — to eat
  5. spell — a short time
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. tube — the underground
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spell — letters
  12. swing — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. charge — a price
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tube — a container
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pop — music
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. swing — to play on
  23. charge — in control
  24. pop — soda

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