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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bark — to shout
  4. ball — a great time
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bulb — for light
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ball — a dance
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wave — of the sea

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