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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bark — to shout
  3. chip — to eat
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pop — soda
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. kid — child
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pop — music
  17. kid — to tease
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. chip — for betting

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