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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: fan · cap · rule · snap · charge · stock · hand · bark

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cap — a lid
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stock — shares
  9. hand — help
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. charge — in control
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stock — goods
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cap — of ice
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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