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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. chip — for betting
  5. charge — electricity
  6. club — a group
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. content — the amount
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. shower — to wash
  16. charge — in control
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. content — happy
  19. charge — a price
  20. club — for golf
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. stand — to bear
  24. shower — rain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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