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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. season — of the year
  3. rule — a law
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bark — to shout
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. charge — a price
  12. drill — a practice
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rule — government
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. track — a path
  18. charge — in control
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. track — a song

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