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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. charge — in control
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. tube — a container
  7. sharp — clever
  8. march — music
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. tube — the underground
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. root — of a plant
  14. march — the month
  15. game — wild animals
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. root — the cause
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. game — a match
  22. root — of a word
  23. march — the month
  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