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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: pit · charge · game · season · wake · bound · bark · wave

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pit — a hole
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. charge — a price
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wake — a trail
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. charge — in control
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bound — certain
  18. season — in sport
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. season — of the year
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bark — of a tree

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