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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. staff — a stick
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bark — to shout
  10. charge — in control
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bat — the animal
  16. staff — employees
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. chest — a box
  19. staff — employees
  20. chest — of your body
  21. charge — a price
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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