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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. date — the fruit
  7. chip — for betting
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. chip — to eat
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bound — tied together
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bark — to shout

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