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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 · temple · charge · chip · wake · pound · cabinet · shower

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bark — to shout
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wake — a trail
  16. chip — to eat
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. shower — to wash
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. shower — rain
  24. temple — a place of worship

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