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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: charge · wound · stand · jam · tube · firm · club · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. club — for dancing
  4. charge — electricity
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. club — for golf
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. firm — decided
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wound — an injury
  12. charge — in control
  13. firm — steady
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. firm — a company
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. tube — a container
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. charge — a price
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. wound — an injury
  24. club — a group

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