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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: charge · roll · last · ground · mug · bark · cap · bore

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mug — to rob
  5. roll — a list
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cap — of ice
  8. last — to go on
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. mug — a face
  11. cap — a hat
  12. roll — a cake
  13. charge — electricity
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. last — final
  16. charge — a price
  17. last — finally
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bark — to shout
  21. charge — in control
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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