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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. object — a thing
  3. charge — electricity
  4. branch — a division
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. charge — a price
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. kid — child
  9. mug — to rob
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mug — a cup
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mug — a face
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. object — an aim
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kid — to tease
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. charge — in control
  24. object — to protest

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