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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. ground — crushed
  3. charge — in control
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. ground — a position
  6. kick — in football
  7. season — of the year
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ground — the earth
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rash — a series
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bark — to shout
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rash — hasty
  22. season — in sport
  23. rock — music
  24. bowl — a dish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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