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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. staff — employees
  3. chip — for betting
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. staff — a stick
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. firm — steady
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. spell — letters
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bark — to shout
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. firm — a company
  22. chip — to eat
  23. staff — employees
  24. firm — decided

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