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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: present · straw · row · mug · game · charge · pound · wound

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mug — a cup
  3. row — to paddle
  4. game — a match
  5. present — there
  6. mug — to rob
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. present — the time now
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mug — a face
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pound — a weight
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. charge — in control
  19. wound — an injury
  20. present — a gift
  21. charge — a price
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. wound — an injury

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