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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: charge · pop · chip · firm · branch · can · chair · bore

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. can — a tin
  5. firm — a company
  6. charge — in control
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. firm — steady
  11. pop — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bore — to tire
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bore — to drill
  20. firm — decided
  21. branch — a division
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pop — soda

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