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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pound — a weight
  6. chip — to eat
  7. suit — clothes
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. band — a ring
  15. suit — in cards
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. band — a music group
  23. stand — to bear
  24. band — a rubber band

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