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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. fall — to drop
  5. game — a match
  6. bark — to shout
  7. key — in music
  8. lean — to bend
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chip — to eat
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. chair — a leader
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pop — soda
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pop — music
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fall — the season
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bark — of a tree

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