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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: squash · bulb · rock · net · land · sharp · chip · charge

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rock — music
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. land — to come down
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. sharp — clever
  8. chip — for betting
  9. net — after costs
  10. bulb — for light
  11. land — a country
  12. bulb — for light
  13. squash — to crush
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. rock — a stone
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. land — ground
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bulb — of a plant

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