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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: swing · pound · charge · club · craft · bound · spell · mate

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. charge — electricity
  3. club — for golf
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bound — tied together
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bound — certain
  9. mate — to breed
  10. club — a group
  11. swing — in golf
  12. charge — in control
  13. mate — a partner
  14. spell — letters
  15. charge — a price
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. swing — to play on
  19. spell — magic
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bound — obliged
  22. craft — boats
  23. swing — music
  24. spell — a short time

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