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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. spring — of water
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bank — of a river
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bank — for money
  7. track — to keep track
  8. race — humankind
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. row — to paddle
  12. charge — in control
  13. squash — to crush
  14. track — a path
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. race — a contest
  17. bank — for money
  18. race — the arms race
  19. track — a song
  20. bark — to shout
  21. charge — electricity
  22. squash — the sport
  23. row — a line
  24. spring — the season

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