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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: ground · chip · club · stem · mate · charge · pitcher · can

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ground — crushed
  4. can — a tin
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. can — a tin
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. chip — for betting
  14. charge — electricity
  15. can — to be able to
  16. club — for dancing
  17. ground — a position
  18. charge — in control
  19. club — a group
  20. charge — a price
  21. ground — the earth
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mate — a friend
  24. club — for golf

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