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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. rule — government
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. court — of law
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. firm — decided
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cap — a hat
  13. chip — to eat
  14. firm — a company
  15. rule — a law
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. firm — steady
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. court — for sport
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. court — of a king
  24. bark — to shout

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