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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. land — a country
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. land — to come down
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. land — ground
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pit — a hole
  18. club — for golf
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pop — soda
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pop — music
  23. pit — in a race
  24. club — a group

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