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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. staff — employees
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. charge — a price
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. row — a line
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. staff — employees
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. staff — a stick
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bark — to shout
  20. charge — in control
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bark — of a tree

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