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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pop — music
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pop — soda
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. stem — to come from

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