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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 · bore · chair · mug · bark · ball · wind · scale

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. scale — in music
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. ball — a great time
  6. charge — in control
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. charge — electricity
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bore — to drill
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. charge — a price
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mug — a face

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