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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ground — a position
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. stand — to bear
  6. charge — in control
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. charge — a price
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bark — to shout
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rock — a stone
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stand — on your feet

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