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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: charge · pitcher · mine · chip · pound · wound · stick · last

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. chip — for betting
  9. last — finally
  10. charge — a price
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. last — final
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. last — to go on

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