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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bound — certain
  5. charge — in control
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bulb — for light
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. club — a group
  12. bulb — for light
  13. charge — electricity
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bound — tied together
  18. roll — a list
  19. bark — to shout
  20. charge — a price
  21. club — for golf
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bulb — of a plant

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