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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. charge — in control
  5. capital — money
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pound — a weight
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. bark — to shout
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. stock — goods
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. charge — a price
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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