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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: cell · charge · rock · clip · suit · roll · date · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. cell — a phone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. club — for golf
  7. clip — to cut
  8. cell — in biology
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. charge — a price
  12. suit — clothes
  13. roll — a list
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. charge — electricity
  16. roll — a cake
  17. club — for dancing
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. charge — in control
  21. rock — music
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rock — a stone
  24. suit — in cards

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