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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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Word bank
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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wound — an injury
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pit — in a race
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. key — in music
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. chip — for betting
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. coach — a trainer

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