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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pit — a hole
  4. charge — electricity
  5. board — a committee
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. board — to get on
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. charge — in control
  15. ground — a position
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bulb — for light
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bear — the animal

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