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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pop — to visit
  3. club — for dancing
  4. swing — in golf
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. charge — electricity
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pop — soda
  9. charge — in control
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. swing — music
  14. pop — music
  15. snap — to click
  16. mine — for digging
  17. charge — a price
  18. club — a group
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. swing — to play on
  21. club — for golf
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mine — an explosive

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