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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: leaves · bark · bass · pit · mug · charge · pop · mark

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pop — to visit
  3. charge — in control
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mug — to rob
  7. charge — a price
  8. mug — a face
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. mug — a cup
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. mark — a grade
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. mark — to pay attention

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