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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 116 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 · racket · mark · charge · bore · pop · march · nail

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bore — to drill
  4. march — the month
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. charge — a price
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mark — a grade
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. charge — in control
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. march — the month
  24. chip — for betting

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