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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: court · drill · kid · chip · charge · pit · present · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. chip — to eat
  3. present — there
  4. court — for sport
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pit — in a race
  8. drill — army training
  9. charge — in control
  10. court — of law
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pit — a hole
  13. court — of a king
  14. charge — electricity
  15. chip — for betting
  16. present — the time now
  17. ground — a position
  18. present — a gift
  19. drill — a practice
  20. kid — child
  21. charge — a price
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. drill — the tool

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