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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. content — happy
  3. chip — for betting
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. spell — magic
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rush — hurry
  15. content — the amount
  16. pitch — completely
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. chip — to eat
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spell — letters
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. chip — in a computer

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