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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. charge — a price
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bark — to shout
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. charge — in control
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. track — a path
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. object — an aim
  20. track — a song
  21. charge — electricity
  22. object — a thing
  23. game — wild animals
  24. object — to protest

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