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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 116 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. sharp — clever
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spring — a coil
  14. lie — to recline
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. spring — of water
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. spring — the season

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