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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: bark · pitcher · leaves · foot · firm · charge · press · bound

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. firm — steady
  4. bound — tied together
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. firm — a company
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bark — to shout
  13. charge — a price
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bound — certain
  17. press — to push
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. foot — a measure
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bound — obliged
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. charge — in control

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