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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. bound — certain
  3. wind — moving air
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. club — for golf
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wax — to grow
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bound — obliged
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. foot — a measure
  23. club — a group
  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