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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 · swing · charge · track · staff · pitcher · rest · sharp

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. swing — music
  3. staff — a stick
  4. track — a song
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. swing — to play on
  8. sharp — clever
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rest — what's left
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rest — what's left
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. chip — to eat
  15. track — a path
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rest — a break
  20. staff — employees
  21. chip — for betting
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. sharp — with an edge

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