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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. cue — a signal
  9. content — the amount
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cue — for pool
  18. tear — from crying
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. march — music
  24. mouse — the animal

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