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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. charge — in control
  3. craft — a skill
  4. charge — a price
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. charge — electricity
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. kid — child
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. foot — a measure
  12. craft — boats
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. tube — a container
  18. kid — to tease
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pop — soda
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pop — music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. foot — the bottom

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