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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bass — low music
  6. bark — to shout
  7. ground — a position
  8. mug — a face
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mug — a cup
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rule — government
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rule — a law
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. chip — for betting

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