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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: drill · racket · charge · chip · pit · court · firm · mine

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. drill — a practice
  3. chip — to eat
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mine — for digging
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. charge — electricity
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pit — a hole
  14. firm — decided
  15. court — of law
  16. firm — a company
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. charge — a price
  23. firm — steady
  24. pit — in a race

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