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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 120 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
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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: pop · deal · cold · shower · pit · charge · bound · chip

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pop — soda
  4. cold — not warm
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bound — obliged
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pit — a hole
  9. shower — rain
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pop — to visit
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bound — tied together
  16. chip — for betting
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bound — certain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pop — music
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cold — an illness

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