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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. club — a group
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. charge — electricity
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pop — music
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pop — soda
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. charge — in control
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wound — an injury
  19. charge — a price
  20. wound — an injury
  21. club — for golf
  22. mark — a trace
  23. scale — in music
  24. club — for dancing

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