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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. last — to go on
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. charge — in control
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. drill — army training
  13. charge — a price
  14. last — finally
  15. field — for sport
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rule — government
  19. field — a subject
  20. rule — a law
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. field — farmland
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. last — final

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