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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. root — of a plant
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. land — a country
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. land — ground
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. land — to come down
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. chip — to eat
  22. ball — a great time
  23. shower — rain
  24. bark — to shout

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