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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 · bark · pitch · charge · temple · club · roll · firm

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. kid — child
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. firm — steady
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. club — for dancing
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bark — to shout
  12. kid — to tease
  13. firm — a company
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. charge — a price
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. firm — decided
  19. pitch — completely
  20. roll — a cake
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. club — a group
  23. charge — in control
  24. club — for 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