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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: club · charge · date · ground · pound · pop · leaves · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. club — a group
  3. charge — a price
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. charge — in control
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pop — soda
  9. ground — the earth
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cell — in biology
  12. date — the fruit
  13. club — for golf
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. club — for dancing
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pop — music
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pound — a weight

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