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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. track — to keep track
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. roll — a list
  12. mug — a face
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. track — a song
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. track — a path
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stand — to bear
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bark — to shout
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mug — to rob
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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