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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. drill — army training
  2. craft — a skill
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. charge — in control
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. drill — the tool
  9. season — in sport
  10. craft — boats
  11. drill — a practice
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. track — a song
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bound — obliged
  16. season — of the year
  17. track — a path
  18. bound — certain
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bound — tied together
  21. perch — the fish
  22. track — to keep track
  23. perch — for a bird
  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