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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. lean — to bend
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. craft — boats
  13. club — for dancing
  14. craft — a skill
  15. lean — thin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. clip — for paper
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. club — for golf
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. club — a group

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