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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 120 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: charge · firm · cap · ground · pound · rash · bark · rest

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cap — a lid
  5. firm — a company
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. charge — in control
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pound — a weight
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cap — of ice
  15. firm — decided
  16. rest — a break
  17. charge — a price
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rest — what's left
  20. firm — steady
  21. rash — a series
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. bark — to shout

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