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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. club — for golf
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. charge — in control
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. stand — to bear
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. file — a line of people
  16. kid — child
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. file — a tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bark — to shout
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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