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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 120 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 · board · pit · bat · mouse · rest · prune · bark

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rest — a break
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pit — a hole
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rest — what's left
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. charge — in control
  15. board — to get on
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. board — a committee
  20. bark — to shout
  21. charge — a price
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pit — in a race

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