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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 116 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: tube · saw · deal · club · tear · chair · charge · pound

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pound — a weight
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. chair — a leader
  14. charge — a price
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tear — from crying
  19. club — for golf
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. saw — the tool
  22. tear — to rip
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pound — for dogs

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