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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. game — wild animals
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rush — hurry
  13. game — a match
  14. rule — government
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rule — a law
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. rush — to hurry

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