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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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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 · chip · kid · cue · track · pound · date · leaves

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. track — to keep track
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pound — a weight
  5. date — the fruit
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. charge — in control
  12. track — a path
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. track — a song
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cue — for pool
  17. kid — to tease
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — child
  23. charge — a price
  24. date — on the calendar

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