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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · band · charge · rule · pit · mug · mine · fan

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. club — a group
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mug — a cup
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rule — government
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pit — a hole
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. charge — in control
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. band — a music group
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rule — a law
  23. mug — a face
  24. club — for golf

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