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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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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: last · racket · bark · firm · bound · charge · squash · file

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. charge — electricity
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. last — finally
  6. charge — in control
  7. file — a document
  8. squash — the sport
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. file — a tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. charge — a price
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. bark — to shout
  18. firm — decided
  19. bound — obliged
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bound — tied together
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bound — certain

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