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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pit — in a race
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bore — to tire
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bore — to drill
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stem — to come from

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