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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. land — to come down
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. fall — the season
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. present — there
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. tube — a container
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pound — a weight
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. land — a country
  16. fall — to drop
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. present — a gift
  19. tube — the underground
  20. land — ground
  21. fall — to drop
  22. present — the time now
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pound — for dogs

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