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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: net · cell · club · charge · present · game · bay · staff

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. present — the time now
  5. charge — a price
  6. staff — a stick
  7. club — a group
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. staff — employees
  11. club — for dancing
  12. net — in sport
  13. charge — electricity
  14. present — a gift
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cell — in biology
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. net — after costs
  20. present — there
  21. club — for golf
  22. charge — in control
  23. net — for catching
  24. staff — employees

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