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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. staff — a stick
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. charge — in control
  11. bark — to shout
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. charge — a price
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stand — to bear
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. staff — employees
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. staff — employees

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