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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: staff · track · date · wound · chip · calf · ground · charge

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ground — crushed
  3. track — to keep track
  4. staff — employees
  5. wound — an injury
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. track — a song
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ground — the earth
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chip — for betting
  15. charge — in control
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. track — a path
  18. charge — a price
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. ground — a position
  23. chip — to eat
  24. date — the fruit

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