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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. court — of law
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. firm — steady
  5. tube — a container
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. court — for sport
  8. roll — a cake
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. roll — a list
  15. chip — for betting
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bark — to shout
  20. court — of a king
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. chip — to eat
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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