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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: charge · pound · safe · mouse · straw · spell · bark · net

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spell — magic
  5. charge — in control
  6. net — after costs
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spell — letters
  13. net — for catching
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. charge — electricity
  16. spell — a short time
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. charge — a price
  19. bark — to shout
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. net — in sport
  22. pound — a weight
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pound — to hit hard

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