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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cue — a signal
  4. charge — in control
  5. shower — to wash
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cue — for pool
  8. present — the time now
  9. cue — a hint
  10. season — of the year
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. shower — rain
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. season — in sport
  18. present — there
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. present — a gift
  22. charge — a price
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. racket — for tennis

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