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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 · date · wind · coach · pass · wound · tube · charge

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. date — the fruit
  3. charge — a price
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. tube — the underground
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. charge — electricity
  13. tube — a container
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. charge — in control
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wind — moving air
  24. date — on the calendar

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