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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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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: kid · game · club · charge · pound · present · lean · dip

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. kid — to tease
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — child
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lean — thin
  8. charge — in control
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. present — a gift
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. charge — electricity
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. club — a group
  16. pound — a weight
  17. present — the time now
  18. game — wild animals
  19. present — there
  20. game — a match
  21. charge — a price
  22. club — for golf
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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