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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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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. content — happy
  5. staff — a stick
  6. chip — to eat
  7. staff — employees
  8. content — the amount
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. staff — employees
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fine — all right
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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