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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bark — to shout
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. field — for sport
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rule — government
  14. charge — in control
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. charge — electricity
  18. field — a subject
  19. charge — a price
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. field — farmland

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