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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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. bark — a dog's sound
  4. club — a group
  5. cue — a signal
  6. charge — a price
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. club — for golf
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. band — a ring
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. band — a music group
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bark — to shout
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. cabinet — ministers

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