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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: net · rush · bat · chair · charge · chip · fall · pound

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bat — the animal
  4. net — after costs
  5. charge — a price
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. charge — in control
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pound — a weight
  12. fall — the season
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. net — in sport
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. net — for catching
  18. charge — electricity
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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