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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: march · board · bulb · charge · bark · rest · hide · bass

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. march — the month
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. board — to get on
  6. march — the month
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. board — a committee
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bark — to shout
  13. charge — in control
  14. rest — a break
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bass — low music
  20. march — music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bulb — for light

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