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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.

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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bark — to shout
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. content — the amount
  6. deal — to handle
  7. object — a thing
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. chip — to eat
  12. object — an aim
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spring — the season
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spring — of water
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. object — to protest
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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