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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. charge — a price
  3. court — of law
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. squash — to crush
  7. cell — in biology
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. charge — electricity
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bass — low music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. charge — in control
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bark — to shout
  19. board — a committee
  20. squash — the sport
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cell — a phone
  23. board — to get on
  24. bass — the fish

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