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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. stock — goods
  6. march — music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. march — the month
  9. charge — a price
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bark — to shout
  14. charge — in control
  15. march — the month
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stock — shares
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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