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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. deal — to handle
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. court — for sport
  7. stock — goods
  8. court — of a king
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. court — of law
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bark — to shout
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bark — of a tree
  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