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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pop — soda
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pop — music
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rule — government
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rule — a law
  13. degree — an amount
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. chip — for betting
  17. saw — the tool
  18. degree — from a university
  19. roll — a cake
  20. degree — temperature
  21. pop — to visit
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bark — to shout
  24. roll — a list

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