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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. charge — in control
  3. suit — clothes
  4. band — a music group
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. charge — electricity
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. degree — from a university
  15. charge — a price
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. band — a ring
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bark — to shout

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