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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. club — for golf
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. prune — to trim
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. charge — in control
  8. wake — a trail
  9. tube — a container
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. charge — a price
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pound — a weight
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. club — a group
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. tube — the underground
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. nail — for a hammer

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