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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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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: charge · chip · date · pound · swing · present

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pound — a weight
  3. present — a gift
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. charge — in control
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. present — the time now
  15. charge — electricity
  16. present — there
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. charge — a price

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