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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. charge — a price
  3. bulb — for light
  4. charge — electricity
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. kid — to tease
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. key — in music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mate — a friend
  19. kid — child
  20. charge — in control
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rock — music
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mate — a partner

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