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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: charge · chip · content · rock · game · pitcher · stick · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. charge — a price
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rock — a stone
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. game — wild animals
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. content — happy
  14. charge — in control
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. content — the amount
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rock — music
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chip — to eat
  24. charge — electricity

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