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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bark — to shout
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. chip — to eat
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bore — to tire
  9. charge — a price
  10. pop — soda
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pop — music
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. chip — for betting
  18. dip — to sink
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bore — to drill
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — a tool

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