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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. chip — for betting
  5. deal — to handle
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. staff — employees
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mate — to breed
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mine — for digging
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mine — an explosive

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