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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: bank · charge · tear · jam · club · bulb · roll · net

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. net — after costs
  5. tear — from crying
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bank — for money
  10. net — in sport
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bulb — for light
  13. club — for golf
  14. charge — a price
  15. club — a group
  16. net — for catching
  17. charge — electricity
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bank — for money
  20. roll — a list
  21. bulb — for light
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bank — of a river
  24. tear — from crying

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