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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. sharp — clever
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. chip — to eat
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fine — all right
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. chip — for betting
  15. saw — the tool
  16. track — a path
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fine — high quality
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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