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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. ball — a great time
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cue — a signal
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bark — to shout
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — a face
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chip — in a computer

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