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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. club — a group
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bore — to drill
  8. club — for golf
  9. clip — to cut
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chip — to eat
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stock — shares
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stock — goods
  18. clip — a video
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. clip — for paper
  21. chip — for betting
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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