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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. charge — in control
  4. deal — to handle
  5. spring — the season
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. spring — of water
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bark — to shout
  18. charge — a price
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. foot — a measure
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. spring — a coil

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