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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 120 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: club · hand · fall · charge · ruler · content · ground · saw

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fall — to drop
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ground — the earth
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. content — the amount
  9. ground — crushed
  10. hand — help
  11. fall — the season
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. content — happy
  16. charge — in control
  17. hand — in cards
  18. club — for golf
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ground — a position
  22. club — for dancing
  23. saw — the tool
  24. content — videos and posts

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