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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. band — a ring
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. fork — in a road
  5. squash — to crush
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. band — a music group
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mug — a cup
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pound — a weight
  23. chip — for betting
  24. fork — to eat with

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