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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 116 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 · object · pop · club · saw · bear · charge · bore

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bear — the animal
  4. charge — in control
  5. object — a thing
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. saw — the tool
  9. club — a group
  10. bore — to drill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. object — to protest
  19. charge — a price
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bore — to tire
  22. object — an aim
  23. pop — music
  24. club — for golf

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