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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. chip — to eat
  4. club — for golf
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stand — to bear
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. staff — employees
  10. net — for catching
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. staff — employees
  17. pit — a hole
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. club — a group
  21. net — in sport
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. chip — for betting
  24. net — after costs

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