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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: staff · charge · sharp · mine · chest · object · bat · ground

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ground — the earth
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. charge — electricity
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. object — an aim
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ground — a position
  11. staff — employees
  12. bat — the animal
  13. object — a thing
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. staff — a stick
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. object — to protest
  18. staff — employees
  19. mine — for digging
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ground — crushed
  22. charge — a price
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mine — belonging to me

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