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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. kid — child
  3. can — a tin
  4. bark — to shout
  5. can — a tin
  6. band — a ring
  7. charge — in control
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bear — the animal
  10. charge — a price
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. kid — to tease
  16. band — a music group
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bear — the animal
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. charge — electricity

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