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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · charge · chip · bear · wound · chair · pitcher · racket

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. chair — a leader
  3. sharp — clever
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bear — the animal
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chip — for betting
  12. charge — electricity
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. charge — in control
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. charge — a price
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. chip — to eat
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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