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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: pit · stick · key · shower · bark · date · charge · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. key — the most important part
  7. charge — in control
  8. pit — a hole
  9. key — in music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. charge — electricity
  12. swing — in golf
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. charge — a price
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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