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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ground — a position
  6. roll — a list
  7. board — to get on
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. roll — a cake
  12. board — a committee
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pitch — completely
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. chair — to sit on

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