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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 120 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: pound · cold · land · pass · club · charge · mug · bay

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. charge — a price
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — an illness
  7. club — for dancing
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mug — a face
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. charge — in control
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. land — ground
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. pass — a permit
  24. charge — electricity

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