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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. hand — help
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. can — to be able to
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. hand — in cards
  16. degree — from a university
  17. rash — hasty
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bark — to shout
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bore — to tire

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