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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: charge · key · stick · wake · sharp · bark · firm · mate

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. key — in music
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bark — to shout
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. firm — a company
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wake — a trail
  20. firm — decided
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. charge — a price
  23. sharp — clever
  24. charge — in control

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