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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. race — a contest
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. firm — a company
  6. face — part of the head
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wind — moving air
  10. firm — decided
  11. bark — to shout
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — to confront
  14. firm — steady
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. race — humankind
  22. chip — to eat
  23. race — the arms race
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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