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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stand — to bear
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. staff — employees
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. staff — employees
  12. craft — boats
  13. staff — a stick
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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