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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. roll — a list
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. band — a music group
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. chip — to eat
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bark — to shout
  15. roll — a cake
  16. land — to come down
  17. band — a ring
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. key — in music
  21. land — ground
  22. deal — to handle
  23. key — the most important part
  24. land — a country

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