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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: charge · roll · arm · board · sharp · club · wound · spell

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. club — a group
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. board — a committee
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a cake
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. spell — letters
  13. wound — an injury
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. roll — a list
  16. spell — magic
  17. club — for dancing
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. club — for golf
  23. spell — a short time
  24. board — to get on

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