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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. ground — a position
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. ground — crushed
  15. chair — a leader
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. fork — in a road
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wind — moving air

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