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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. hand — in cards
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hand — help
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cue — a hint
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ball — a dance
  22. chip — for betting
  23. perch — the fish
  24. ball — a great time

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