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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. kid — to tease
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bark — to shout
  6. tube — a container
  7. chip — for betting
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. ball — a dance
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. chip — to eat
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. key — the most important part
  20. tube — the underground
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. ball — a great time
  24. squash — to crush

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