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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. charge — in control
  4. cell — a phone
  5. suit — to fit
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. scale — size or range
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — to shout
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. last — to go on
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. last — finally
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. game — wild animals
  19. cell — in biology
  20. charge — a price
  21. suit — clothes
  22. charge — electricity
  23. last — final
  24. suit — in cards

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