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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pass — a permit
  4. charge — in control
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. spell — letters
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. chair — a leader
  11. band — a music group
  12. charge — a price
  13. band — a ring
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. net — in sport
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. net — after costs
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. spell — magic
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bark — to shout

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