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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 120 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. row — a line
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bark — to shout
  9. charge — in control
  10. mate — a friend
  11. can — a tin
  12. kid — child
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mate — a partner
  17. can — a tin
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mate — to breed
  23. row — to paddle
  24. can — to be able to

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