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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. spring — the season
  3. fine — all right
  4. lean — to bend
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lean — thin
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bark — to shout
  14. charge — in control
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. ground — the earth
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. ground — a position
  19. key — the most important part
  20. spring — of water
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fine — high quality
  23. key — in music
  24. spring — a coil

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