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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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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: mouse · press · mate · bark · temple · fork · charge · club

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mate — a partner
  3. club — a group
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mate — to breed
  8. charge — electricity
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. charge — in control
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. club — for golf
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. press — to push
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. club — for dancing
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. charge — a price
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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