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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ground — crushed
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bark — to shout
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mine — for digging
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. ground — a position

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