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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bark — to shout
  3. march — the month
  4. pop — music
  5. mug — a face
  6. pop — soda
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fine — all right
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mug — a cup
  14. land — a country
  15. charge — electricity
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pop — to visit
  19. march — music
  20. land — to come down
  21. march — the month
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bark — of a tree

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