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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. charge — electricity
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bark — to shout
  7. season — of the year
  8. charge — in control
  9. land — to come down
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pass — a permit
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. prune — to trim
  19. charge — a price
  20. chip — to eat
  21. season — in sport
  22. land — ground
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. land — a country

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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