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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: charge · deal · chip · pit · wind · arm · calf · ground

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. ground — a position
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ground — crushed
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. deal — to handle
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ground — the earth
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wind — moving air
  23. chip — for betting
  24. deal — a big deal

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