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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 120 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. firm — decided
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chip — to eat
  10. staff — employees
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bark — to shout
  14. firm — a company
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. stock — goods
  18. band — a ring
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. firm — steady
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stock — shares
  23. band — a music group
  24. stock — a soup base

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