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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. net — after costs
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bark — to shout
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. net — for catching
  11. kick — in football
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. sharp — clever
  17. net — in sport
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. chip — for betting

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