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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bear — the animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. ground — a position
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. charge — a price
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rush — hurry
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pound — for dogs

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