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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fine — all right
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. march — the month
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. drill — a practice
  9. perch — the fish
  10. charge — in control
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rock — music
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rock — a stone

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