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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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. net — in sport
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. root — of a word
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. root — the cause
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rule — a law
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rule — government
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pitcher — a jug

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