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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fall — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. fine — all right
  5. spring — the season
  6. stock — shares
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bark — to shout
  10. spring — a coil
  11. squash — the sport
  12. key — in music
  13. fall — to drop
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. squash — to crush
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stock — goods
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fine — a penalty

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