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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: chip · present · charge · swing · press · roll · ground · mine

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. roll — a cake
  3. charge — a price
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. present — there
  7. ground — a position
  8. present — a gift
  9. charge — electricity
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. ground — the earth
  13. present — the time now
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. press — to push
  16. swing — in golf
  17. press — a publisher
  18. ground — crushed
  19. swing — music
  20. press — newspapers
  21. chip — for betting
  22. swing — to play on
  23. roll — a list
  24. charge — in control

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