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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. race — a contest
  3. rash — hasty
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. content — the amount
  10. bark — to shout
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rash — a series
  21. charge — in control
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rash — on the skin

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