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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: mark · charge · content · pound · chest · bulb · bark · rock

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rock — music
  9. content — happy
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. content — the amount
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bulb — of a plant

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