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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. object — a thing
  5. key — for a lock
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rule — government
  8. staff — employees
  9. charge — electricity
  10. object — to protest
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. foot — a measure
  14. staff — a stick
  15. key — the most important part
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. staff — employees
  20. bark — to shout
  21. object — an aim
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. key — in music
  24. foot — the bottom

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