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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. file — a document
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. charge — in control
  7. file — a tool
  8. net — for catching
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. net — in sport
  15. charge — a price
  16. net — after costs
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. scale — size or range
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stand — to bear
  24. scale — in music

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