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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · wound · charge · bark · rock · calf · pop · pit

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pop — soda
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pit — in a race
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rock — music
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pop — music
  22. bark — to shout
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pit — a hole

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