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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: charge · wax · chip · present · mine · cabinet · mug · board

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. board — to get on
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mug — a cup
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. present — a gift
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. charge — electricity
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wax — to grow
  16. board — a committee
  17. charge — in control
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. charge — a price

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