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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 · band · bark · fine · present · content · charge · bore

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. band — a music group
  8. content — the amount
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. present — the time now
  11. bore — to drill
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bark — to shout
  15. club — a group
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. present — there
  18. content — happy
  19. club — for golf
  20. bore — to tire
  21. band — a ring
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. club — for dancing
  24. present — a gift

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