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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. present — a gift
  4. rash — a series
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. court — of law
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. present — the time now
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. present — there
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. rule — government
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. court — for sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rule — a law
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. court — of a king
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rash — hasty

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