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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: rush · pound · bark · roll · snap · toast · ball · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. toast — bread
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. roll — a cake
  5. snap — to click
  6. ball — a great time
  7. roll — a list
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pound — a weight
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bark — to shout
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rush — hurry
  23. charge — in control
  24. ball — a dance

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