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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bark — to shout
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. hand — in cards
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. hand — help
  10. can — a tin
  11. charge — electricity
  12. key — for a lock
  13. toast — bread
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. drill — the tool
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. charge — a price
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. drill — army training
  21. can — a tin
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. charge — in control
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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