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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. firm — decided
  7. key — the most important part
  8. firm — steady
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mate — to breed
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. key — for a lock
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bark — to shout
  18. key — in music
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. spell — letters

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