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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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. charge — in control
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. charge — a price
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. content — happy
  10. ball — a great time
  11. charge — electricity
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. ball — a dance
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. bound — tied together

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