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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: saw · mug · club · pitcher · nail · charge · root · kick

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. charge — a price
  3. club — a group
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. root — the cause
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. root — of a word
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. club — for golf
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mug — a face
  13. kick — in football
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. saw — the tool
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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