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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. capital — money
  3. rash — a series
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. band — a music group
  8. charge — electricity
  9. chip — to eat
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rash — hasty
  16. capital — a city
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. prune — to trim

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