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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stock — shares
  5. season — of the year
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rule — a law
  8. charge — in control
  9. bass — the fish
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. season — in sport
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. charge — a price
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. bass — low music
  20. cell — in biology
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bass — the instrument

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