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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pass — a permit
  3. swing — music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bark — to shout
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. chip — for betting
  9. swing — in golf
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rule — government
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. swing — to play on
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chip — to eat

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