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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 116 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
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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: land · calf · net · bark · fan · prune · charge · chair

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. net — after costs
  5. chair — a leader
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. net — for catching
  8. land — ground
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. prune — to trim
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bark — to shout
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. net — in sport
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. charge — a price
  22. land — a country
  23. charge — in control
  24. chair — to sit on

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