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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: wound · charge · cell · drill · land · deal · firm · chip

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. land — to come down
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. land — ground
  10. firm — decided
  11. charge — electricity
  12. land — a country
  13. chip — for betting
  14. charge — a price
  15. firm — steady
  16. cell — a phone
  17. charge — in control
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. drill — the tool
  21. firm — a company
  22. wound — an injury
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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