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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. charge — in control
  3. club — a group
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. charge — electricity
  6. cue — a signal
  7. land — a country
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rule — a law
  10. spring — the season
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cue — for pool
  17. club — for golf
  18. charge — a price
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rule — government
  21. club — for dancing
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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