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

Word bank: charge · tear · mug · bowl · stick · pound

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pound — a weight
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. charge — in control
  7. mug — a cup
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mug — to rob
  17. charge — a price
  18. bowl — to roll

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