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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. club — for dancing
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. object — an aim
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. object — to protest
  7. cap — a lid
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wind — moving air
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wind — moving air
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. club — for golf
  20. bark — to shout
  21. club — a group
  22. cap — of ice
  23. charge — a price
  24. object — a thing

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