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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bark — to shout
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. charge — in control
  10. foot — a measure
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. land — ground
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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