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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. date — the fruit
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. roll — a list
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. roll — a cake
  18. charge — a price
  19. bark — to shout
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. present — there
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

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