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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. chip — to eat
  4. season — of the year
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. land — to come down
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bark — to shout
  11. season — in sport
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. scale — in music
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. chip — for betting
  17. scale — size or range
  18. land — ground
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. board — to get on
  23. land — a country
  24. scale — for weighing

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