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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. charge — a price
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. current — of water
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bound — certain
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bound — obliged
  10. current — happening now
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rock — music
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. charge — in control
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. current — electric
  24. fork — in a road

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