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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bank — for money
  12. bark — to shout
  13. ground — a position
  14. bank — for money
  15. ground — crushed
  16. prune — to trim
  17. race — a contest
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. ground — the earth
  20. race — humankind
  21. mine — for digging
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wax — to grow

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