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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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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 · bore · land · charge · safe · kid · stick · pound

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pound — a weight
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. charge — a price
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. charge — in control
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. kid — child
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. charge — electricity
  23. land — to come down
  24. safe — a strongbox

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