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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. charge — electricity
  4. drill — a practice
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pop — to visit
  8. club — for dancing
  9. spring — the season
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pop — soda
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. spring — of water
  21. pop — music
  22. drill — army training
  23. club — for golf
  24. date — on the calendar

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