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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. charge — a price
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bat — the animal
  5. present — a gift
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. foot — a measure
  8. present — the time now
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. present — there
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bark — to shout
  18. charge — electricity
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. charge — in control
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. cue — for pool

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