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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: mark · straw · deal · tube · tear · club · charge · firm

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. firm — decided
  3. club — for dancing
  4. tear — from crying
  5. club — a group
  6. charge — electricity
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. deal — to handle
  11. firm — a company
  12. club — for golf
  13. tube — a container
  14. firm — steady
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. charge — a price
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. charge — in control
  24. mark — a grade

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