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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. spell — a short time
  4. chip — for betting
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. chip — to eat
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spell — magic
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bark — to shout
  12. game — a match
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. vault — a safe
  19. snap — to click
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. spell — letters
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. toast — bread

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