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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: safe · field · bay · swing · hide · charge · present · bark

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. swing — music
  9. bark — to shout
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. field — for sport
  13. charge — in control
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. charge — electricity
  21. present — a gift
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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