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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 · pound · mug · kid · key · band · wave · rock

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mug — a face
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. charge — in control
  6. rock — music
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. band — a ring
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mug — a cup
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. charge — electricity
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mug — to rob
  21. charge — a price
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pound — for dogs

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