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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bark — to shout
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. tear — from crying
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. tear — to rip
  12. charge — a price
  13. mate — a friend
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. land — a country
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. land — ground
  18. tear — from crying
  19. deal — to handle
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. land — to come down
  23. mate — a partner
  24. deal — a big deal

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