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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. hand — in cards
  3. charge — electricity
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. charge — a price
  6. bank — of a river
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bank — for money
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chair — a leader
  15. key — in music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. charge — in control
  18. key — for a lock
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. hand — help
  24. bank — for money

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