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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. charge — a price
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. charge — in control
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. net — for catching
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. net — in sport
  16. drill — army training
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bark — to shout
  23. charge — electricity
  24. net — after costs

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