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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: cap · pound · ruler · mug · rock · club · court · charge

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rock — music
  3. charge — electricity
  4. court — of law
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. court — for sport
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. charge — in control
  19. court — of a king
  20. pound — a weight
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. mug — a face
  23. charge — a price
  24. cap — a lid

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