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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. charge — in control
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bark — to shout
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. charge — a price
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. drill — the tool
  14. charge — electricity
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. net — after costs

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