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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. face — part of the head
  3. club — a group
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. row — a line
  7. deal — to handle
  8. face — to point toward
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. club — for golf
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. face — to confront
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. club — for dancing
  22. chip — for betting
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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