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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: kid · ground · suit · mark · bark · charge · toast · deal

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. suit — in cards
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ground — a position
  5. kid — child
  6. charge — in control
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bark — to shout
  10. charge — a price
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. deal — to handle
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mark — a trace
  17. charge — electricity
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. suit — clothes
  21. kid — to tease
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. toast — bread

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