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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 120 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. kid — child
  9. march — music
  10. charge — electricity
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. march — the month
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. march — the month
  21. kid — to tease
  22. can — a tin
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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