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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. squash — the sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. charge — a price

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