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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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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: charge · bat · ruler · bark · calf · pound · wind · track

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. charge — in control
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. track — a path
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bark — to shout
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wind — moving air
  17. track — a song
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pound — a weight
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  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