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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 · band · charge · bore · date · coach · last · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bore — to tire
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. last — final
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bore — to drill
  11. last — to go on
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. ball — a dance
  16. chip — to eat
  17. last — finally
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. band — a music group
  20. date — the fruit
  21. band — a ring
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. coach — a trainer

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