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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. land — ground
  7. scale — in music
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chip — for betting
  11. charge — electricity
  12. chip — to eat
  13. land — to come down
  14. bound — certain
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bound — tied together
  17. charge — in control
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. land — a country
  22. charge — a price
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. scale — size or range

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