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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ball — a great time
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. court — of law
  7. ball — a dance
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. tube — a container
  11. bark — to shout
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. court — for sport
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. chip — for betting
  16. squash — to crush
  17. court — of a king
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. squash — the sport
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fork — in a road

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