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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rash — a series
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. charge — in control
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ground — the earth
  9. charge — a price
  10. ground — a position
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. game — a match
  13. ground — crushed
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rash — hasty

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