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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. spring — the season
  3. bark — to shout
  4. net — after costs
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. press — newspapers
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. chip — to eat
  12. net — in sport
  13. spring — a coil
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. press — to push
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. chip — for betting
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spring — of water
  22. net — for catching
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. press — a publisher

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