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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. roll — a cake
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. charge — in control
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. charge — a price
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. roll — a list
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. charge — electricity
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. shower — to wash
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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