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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cue — a signal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — a path
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. chip — to eat
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bass — low music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. track — a song
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bark — to shout
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cue — for pool

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