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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: club · bore · clip · chip · bear · roll · charge · pop

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. club — for dancing
  4. charge — a price
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pop — music
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. club — for golf
  9. charge — electricity
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bore — to tire
  12. clip — to cut
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. clip — a video
  17. club — a group
  18. charge — in control
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bore — to drill
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bear — the animal
  24. roll — a list

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