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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. drill — army training
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chip — for betting
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bark — to shout
  10. drill — a practice
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fine — high quality
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bark — of a tree

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