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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: band · charge · sharp · chair · chip · cabinet · bulb · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bulb — for light
  6. track — a song
  7. band — a ring
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. charge — in control
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. band — a music group
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chip — to eat
  24. sharp — clever

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