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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. can — to be able to
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bark — to shout
  5. charge — electricity
  6. can — a tin
  7. charge — a price
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. track — to keep track
  13. content — the amount
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. track — a song
  16. can — a tin
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. band — a ring
  19. content — happy
  20. charge — in control
  21. band — a music group
  22. cap — a lid
  23. track — a path
  24. content — videos and posts

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