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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. field — a subject
  4. fall — the season
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. charge — in control
  10. date — the fruit
  11. last — finally
  12. charge — a price
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. field — for sport
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. season — in sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. season — of the year
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fall — to drop

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