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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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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. charge — in control
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. land — ground
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. club — a group
  7. charge — electricity
  8. land — to come down
  9. wind — moving air
  10. object — a thing
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. charge — a price
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. deal — to handle
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. land — a country
  19. object — to protest
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. object — an aim
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wind — moving air
  24. club — for dancing

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