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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: chair · net · prune · bark · file · wake · bass · charge

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bark — to shout
  3. charge — a price
  4. net — for catching
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. prune — to trim
  10. file — a document
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. net — after costs
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bass — low music
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bass — the fish
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. net — in sport
  22. charge — in control
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. file — a line of people

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