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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. charge — a price
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. firm — decided
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. charge — in control
  15. capital — money
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. firm — steady
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wake — a trail
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. firm — a company
  23. capital — a city
  24. cabinet — ministers

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