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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bark — to shout
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. charge — electricity
  6. spell — a short time
  7. band — a music group
  8. object — an aim
  9. spell — magic
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. stock — goods
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stock — shares
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. charge — a price
  20. spell — letters
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. charge — in control
  24. band — a rubber band

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