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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bark — to shout
  4. capital — a city
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. track — to keep track
  9. charge — a price
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. vault — a safe
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. race — the arms race
  16. capital — money
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. race — humankind
  19. track — a song
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. charge — in control
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. race — a contest
  24. track — a path

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