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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bound — certain
  9. can — a tin
  10. charge — electricity
  11. rule — government
  12. charge — a price
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lean — to bend
  18. can — a tin
  19. bound — obliged
  20. ground — the earth
  21. charge — in control
  22. rule — a law
  23. lean — thin
  24. bound — tied together

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