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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: squash · snap · firm · charge · present · mate · club · hand

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. present — a gift
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. hand — in cards
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. club — for dancing
  8. snap — to click
  9. present — there
  10. firm — a company
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. charge — a price
  13. club — a group
  14. mate — to breed
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mate — a friend
  17. charge — in control
  18. firm — steady
  19. hand — help
  20. mate — a partner
  21. squash — to crush
  22. firm — decided
  23. present — the time now
  24. squash — the sport

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