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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
468
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: roll · plane · bark · deal · court · chest · charge · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chest — a box
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. charge — a price
  6. chest — of your body
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. court — of a king
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. chest — of your body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. court — for sport
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. roll — a cake
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bark — to shout
  23. court — of law
  24. roll — a list

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