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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 cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pop — music
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. charge — in control
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. charge — electricity
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. club — for golf
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. charge — a price
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pop — soda
  24. current — electric

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