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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: pop · chip · ball · charge · drill · chest · last · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. bank — for money
  2. chest — of your body
  3. drill — army training
  4. bank — of a river
  5. chip — to eat
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bank — for money
  8. pop — soda
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. charge — in control
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. pop — to visit
  14. last — to go on
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pop — music
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. charge — a price
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. drill — the tool
  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