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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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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: charge · mate · lean · land · ball · club · mug · calf

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mug — a cup
  4. club — a group
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lean — thin
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. club — for golf
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mug — a face
  14. mate — to breed
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. club — for dancing
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ball — a great time
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mug — to rob
  22. charge — in control
  23. land — ground
  24. ball — a dance

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