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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · pit · roll · last · bark · chip · patient · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bark — to shout
  4. roll — a list
  5. last — finally
  6. chip — to eat
  7. roll — a cake
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pit — in a race
  14. charge — in control
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. last — final
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pit — a hole
  20. charge — electricity
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. last — to go on
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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