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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 116 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: chip · can · charge · ball · deal · cold · pit · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. cold — an illness
  3. pit — in a race
  4. charge — electricity
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. last — to go on
  7. charge — a price
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. last — final
  12. pit — a hole
  13. ball — a dance
  14. can — to be able to
  15. chip — for betting
  16. can — a tin
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. charge — in control
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cold — not warm
  23. chip — to eat
  24. can — a tin

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