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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. season — in sport
  7. pop — soda
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. charge — a price
  11. rock — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pop — music
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. season — of the year
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. season — to add flavour
  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