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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. 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. fan — to cool the air
  2. fork — in a road
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ground — the earth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ground — a position
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. ground — crushed
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. 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