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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stock — goods
  6. lie — to recline
  7. tube — the underground
  8. file — a tool
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. toast — bread
  11. charge — electricity
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stock — shares
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. current — electric
  19. tube — a container
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. file — a document

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