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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. current — of water
  4. fork — in a road
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bark — to shout
  12. present — a gift
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. saw — the tool

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