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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. last — final
  6. key — for a lock
  7. race — humankind
  8. last — finally
  9. bark — to shout
  10. press — newspapers
  11. key — in music
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wound — an injury
  16. press — to push
  17. key — the most important part
  18. last — to go on
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. wound — an injury

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