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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bark — to shout
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. chip — for betting
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. game — a match
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. craft — boats
  15. charge — in control
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. charge — a price
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. row — to paddle
  21. prune — to trim
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — wild animals
  24. row — a line

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