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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: row · arm · dip · club · game · court · pop · charge

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. dip — to sink
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. court — for sport
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pop — soda
  10. club — a group
  11. pop — to visit
  12. row — a line
  13. pop — music
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. charge — a price
  16. court — of a king
  17. game — a match
  18. charge — electricity
  19. court — of law
  20. row — to paddle
  21. club — for dancing
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. game — wild animals
  24. charge — in control

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