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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. club — for golf
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. cell — in biology
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bank — for money
  13. saw — the tool
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. saw — the tool

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