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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 · charge · pitch · squash · saw · trunk · capital · current

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. saw — the tool
  3. charge — a price
  4. squash — to crush
  5. saw — the tool
  6. charge — in control
  7. current — happening now
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. chip — to eat
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. squash — the sport
  13. current — electric
  14. charge — electricity
  15. capital — a city
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. capital — money
  18. chip — for betting
  19. current — of water
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pitch — completely
  24. chip — in a computer

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