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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · present · pitcher · charge · racket · club · bark · net

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. net — after costs
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — a face
  7. net — for catching
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. charge — a price
  10. net — in sport
  11. charge — in control
  12. club — a group
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. club — for dancing
  18. present — a gift
  19. charge — electricity
  20. present — there
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. club — for golf
  23. present — the time now
  24. bark — to shout

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