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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bark — to shout
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. drill — the tool
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. squash — the sport
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. drill — army training
  13. squash — to crush
  14. charge — in control
  15. bound — obliged
  16. drill — a practice
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bound — certain
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rash — a series
  24. bound — tied together

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