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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 116 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. kid — to tease
  4. last — final
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. charge — a price
  7. craft — a skill
  8. charge — in control
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fork — in a road
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. last — to go on
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. last — finally
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. craft — boats

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