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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. staff — employees
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. present — the time now
  5. court — of law
  6. charge — in control
  7. present — a gift
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. game — wild animals
  11. court — of a king
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. last — final
  16. staff — employees
  17. present — there
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rule — a law
  20. court — for sport
  21. rule — government
  22. staff — a stick
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bark — to shout

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