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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. chip — for betting
  8. track — a path
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mug — a face
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. spell — magic
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mug — to rob
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bark — to shout
  21. track — a song
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. track — to keep track

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