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

Word bank: charge · club · deal · mate · craft · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. 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. tear — to rip
  2. mate — a friend
  3. tear — from crying
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. club — for golf
  8. craft — a skill
  9. tear — from crying
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. charge — in control
  12. craft — boats
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mate — a partner
  15. club — a group
  16. charge — a price
  17. mate — to breed
  18. 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