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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bark — to shout
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — a group
  9. date — the fruit
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chip — to eat
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. club — for dancing
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fan — a supporter

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