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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 116 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: racket · lash · bore · press · charge · chip · chair · pound

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. charge — a price
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. chip — for betting
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bore — to tire
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chair — a leader
  11. press — a publisher
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. press — to push
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bore — to drill
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. charge — in control
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pound — a weight
  24. chair — a professorship

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