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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.

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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: stem · present · drill · shower · charge · race · bark · scale

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. charge — in control
  6. drill — army training
  7. race — a contest
  8. shower — rain
  9. present — the time now
  10. drill — a practice
  11. scale — size or range
  12. shower — to wash
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. present — there
  15. stem — to come from
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. present — a gift
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. race — the arms race
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. drill — the tool
  23. race — humankind
  24. bark — to shout

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