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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mark — a grade
  10. firm — decided
  11. chip — for betting
  12. firm — a company
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mark — a trace
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. firm — steady
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bass — low music
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bowl — a dish

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