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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: bark · net · swing · stick · trunk · row · charge · tube

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. charge — a price
  5. row — to paddle
  6. tube — a container
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. net — in sport
  9. swing — music
  10. bark — to shout
  11. tube — the underground
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. swing — to play on
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. row — a line
  17. charge — electricity
  18. net — for catching
  19. charge — in control
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. swing — in golf

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