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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 120 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: mate · chip · hand · cap · charge · mug · ground · safe

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ground — a position
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ground — crushed
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. mate — a friend
  15. ground — the earth
  16. hand — help
  17. mate — a partner
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cap — a hat
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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