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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · trunk · swing · wound · rule · bark · charge · pitch

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wound — an injury
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. swing — music
  8. rule — government
  9. bark — to shout
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. charge — a price
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wound — an injury
  18. charge — in control
  19. hand — help
  20. rule — a law
  21. hand — in cards
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. hand — part of the body

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