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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. chip — for betting
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fall — to drop
  5. land — to come down
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. firm — a company
  9. hand — in cards
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. land — a country
  13. bark — to shout
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. hand — help
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fall — the season
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. fall — to drop
  22. land — ground
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. chip — to eat

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