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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. craft — boats
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. charge — in control
  7. cold — an illness
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. charge — electricity
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pass — a permit
  15. court — for sport
  16. pound — a weight
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cold — not warm

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