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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. can — a tin
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. chest — of your body
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mine — for digging
  15. chest — a box
  16. can — to be able to
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. row — a line
  20. chip — to eat
  21. can — a tin
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. row — to paddle

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