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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.

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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 · row · capital · arm · root · season · charge · pitch

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. chip — to eat
  3. row — to paddle
  4. season — of the year
  5. charge — electricity
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. root — the cause
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. root — of a word
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. season — in sport
  18. chip — for betting
  19. charge — in control
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. charge — a price
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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