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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. season — of the year
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. season — in sport
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. can — a tin
  9. charge — electricity
  10. file — a document
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. file — a tool
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bass — low music
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. can — to be able to
  21. charge — in control
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. can — a tin

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