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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 · bore · pound · craft · branch · rash · kid

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. branch — a division
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pound — a weight
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. charge — electricity
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. craft — boats
  19. kid — child
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. kid — to tease

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