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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · bound · chair · swing · charge · craft · chip · squash

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chip — for betting
  4. swing — in golf
  5. charge — electricity
  6. chair — a leader
  7. craft — a skill
  8. swing — music
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. craft — boats
  12. charge — in control
  13. swing — to play on
  14. squash — the sport
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bound — tied together
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mine — for digging
  20. chip — to eat
  21. charge — a price
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. chip — in a computer

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