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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. scale — in music
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. scale — size or range
  5. firm — decided
  6. charge — in control
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. charge — a price
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bark — to shout
  17. firm — a company
  18. land — a country
  19. firm — steady
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. deal — to handle
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. charge — electricity

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