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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. march — music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chair — a leader
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. charge — a price
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. stock — goods
  15. march — the month
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. charge — electricity
  19. march — the month
  20. stock — shares
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. charge — in control
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. kick — in football

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