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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rule — government
  4. field — a subject
  5. charge — a price
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cap — a hat
  8. track — a song
  9. rule — a law
  10. field — for sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. charge — electricity
  13. staff — a stick
  14. field — farmland
  15. fine — all right
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. track — a path
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. staff — employees
  21. cap — of ice
  22. charge — in control
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bark — to shout

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