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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. ball — a great time
  3. charge — a price
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. key — in music
  6. ball — a dance
  7. drill — a practice
  8. hand — help
  9. key — for a lock
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. drill — the tool
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. hand — in cards
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bark — to shout
  20. drill — army training
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rock — music
  24. charge — in control

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