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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: tube · club · press · board · spell · bark · charge · row

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. spell — letters
  3. club — for golf
  4. press — a publisher
  5. club — for dancing
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. tube — a container
  11. spell — magic
  12. board — to get on
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. charge — electricity
  15. row — to paddle
  16. charge — in control
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. board — a committee
  19. bark — to shout
  20. row — a line
  21. tube — the underground
  22. spell — a short time
  23. club — a group
  24. charge — a price

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