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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: straw · stand · club · clip · bore · bowl · charge · season

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. charge — in control
  3. clip — a video
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. charge — a price
  6. club — a group
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. season — of the year
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. season — in sport
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. charge — electricity
  15. club — for golf
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bore — to drill
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. clip — to cut
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. clip — for paper

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