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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lean — thin
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. court — for sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lean — to bend

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