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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 116 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. suit — in cards
  4. content — happy
  5. key — in music
  6. net — after costs
  7. key — the most important part
  8. charge — electricity
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. net — in sport
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. content — the amount
  18. net — for catching
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — high quality
  22. key — for a lock
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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