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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: press · bark · craft · charge · present · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. present — the time now
  4. charge — electricity
  5. craft — boats
  6. charge — in control
  7. present — a gift
  8. club — for golf
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. charge — a price
  11. craft — a skill
  12. present — there
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. press — to push
  17. club — a group
  18. press — a publisher

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