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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. lean — thin
  7. court — of law
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. stand — to bear
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bark — to shout
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. lean — to bend
  18. court — for sport
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. court — of a king
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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