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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mug — a face
  5. chip — to eat
  6. board — to get on
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. field — for sport
  9. key — in music
  10. board — a committee
  11. stand — to bear
  12. field — farmland
  13. mug — to rob
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bark — to shout
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — to tease
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mug — a cup
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. key — for a lock
  23. kid — child
  24. field — a subject

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