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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. file — a document
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. charge — a price
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. file — a tool
  16. sharp — clever
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. file — a line of people
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. staff — a stick
  22. charge — in control
  23. toast — bread
  24. charge — electricity

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