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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: charge · bound · chip · present · last · net · ground · club

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. present — the time now
  3. charge — electricity
  4. club — a group
  5. charge — a price
  6. chip — for betting
  7. ground — a position
  8. net — for catching
  9. present — there
  10. club — for dancing
  11. chip — to eat
  12. last — final
  13. present — a gift
  14. bound — obliged
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bound — tied together
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. last — to go on
  20. net — in sport
  21. last — finally
  22. charge — in control
  23. club — for golf
  24. net — after costs

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