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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. track — a path
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rule — a law
  8. chip — for betting
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. track — a song
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — part of the body

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