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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. chip — for betting
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. chair — a leader
  6. drill — army training
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. bark — to shout
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. present — there
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bass — low music
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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