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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bark — to shout
  3. content — the amount
  4. present — there
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. file — a line of people
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. content — happy
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. charge — in control
  16. present — a gift
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. present — the time now
  19. charge — a price
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. file — a tool
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. file — a document
  24. stand — on your feet

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