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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. staff — employees
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bark — to shout
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. staff — a stick
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. staff — employees
  13. charge — in control
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fine — high quality
  16. charge — a price
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fine — all right
  24. wind — moving air

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