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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 120 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: field · safe · can · charge · snap · bark · rule · bear

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. can — a tin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. field — for sport
  8. charge — in control
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. can — to be able to
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. field — farmland
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rule — government
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rule — a law
  19. snap — to click
  20. can — a tin
  21. field — a subject
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. rule — to rule out

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