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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: craft · club · leaves · roll · cap · charge · mine · pound

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. craft — a skill
  4. charge — in control
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mine — for digging
  7. cap — a hat
  8. charge — a price
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cap — a lid
  11. roll — a cake
  12. charge — electricity
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. roll — a list
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. club — a group
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. cap — of ice

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