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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: prune · mate · drill · charge · racket · saw · cabinet · chip

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mate — to breed
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. charge — a price
  10. drill — army training
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mate — a friend
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. charge — in control
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chip — for betting
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mate — a partner
  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