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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 116 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: charge · drill · chip · nail · saw · staff · vault · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chip — to eat
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. charge — in control
  6. saw — the tool
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. drill — army training
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. charge — a price
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. vault — a safe
  19. saw — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. staff — a stick
  23. pitch — completely
  24. charge — electricity

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