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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: object · saw · charge · squash · hand · bark · club · bound

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bound — obliged
  3. squash — the sport
  4. saw — the tool
  5. object — to protest
  6. charge — a price
  7. saw — the tool
  8. charge — in control
  9. hand — help
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. club — a group
  14. charge — electricity
  15. club — for dancing
  16. object — an aim
  17. club — for golf
  18. object — a thing
  19. bound — tied together
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bark — to shout
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bound — certain
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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