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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 120 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. tube — a container
  7. march — music
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bark — to shout
  11. march — the month
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. march — the month
  16. charge — a price
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fine — high quality
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mine — for digging
  23. charge — in control
  24. bear — to put up with

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