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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: file · rash · stand · pop · present · row · charge · bark

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stand — to bear
  8. present — a gift
  9. charge — in control
  10. row — a line
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. present — there
  13. file — a document
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rash — a series
  20. pop — soda
  21. present — the time now
  22. bark — to shout
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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