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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. dip — to sink
  6. board — a committee
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. board — to get on
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pop — music
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pop — soda
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. patient — a sick person

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