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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: chip · charge · bound · pitcher · bass · track · present · mug

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bound — obliged
  3. chip — to eat
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mug — a face
  8. track — to keep track
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chip — for betting
  12. present — the time now
  13. bound — certain
  14. present — there
  15. bass — low music
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mug — to rob
  18. charge — electricity
  19. track — a song
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. track — a path
  24. mug — a cup

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