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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pound · content · charge · nail · spell · drill · rock

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. content — happy
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pound — a weight
  10. charge — a price
  11. rock — a stone
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. content — the amount
  16. rock — music
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. drill — army training
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. drill — the tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. spell — a short time

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