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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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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: file · wind · kick · charge · pound · club

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. charge — a price
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. charge — electricity
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. pound — a weight
  13. file — a line of people
  14. wind — moving air
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. charge — in control

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