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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. cap — a hat
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ground — a position
  10. track — a path
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. degree — an amount
  15. chip — to eat
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cap — of ice
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. cap — a lid

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