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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. charge — a price
  8. file — a document
  9. hand — in cards
  10. present — there
  11. club — for golf
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — help
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. present — the time now
  17. file — a tool
  18. bark — to shout
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. present — a gift
  24. file — a line of people

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