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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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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 · bound · file · charge · rest · stand · object · present

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. file — a tool
  5. bound — tied together
  6. present — a gift
  7. rest — what's left
  8. object — an aim
  9. present — the time now
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. file — a document
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. object — to protest
  15. file — a line of people
  16. chip — to eat
  17. charge — electricity
  18. present — there
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — a price
  21. object — a thing
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  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