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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. fine — all right
  8. capital — a city
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. capital — money
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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