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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. file — a tool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cue — for pool
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cue — a hint
  21. file — a document
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. chip — for betting
  24. file — a line of people

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