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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 124 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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — bread
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. track — a path
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. track — to keep track
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. bark — to shout
  19. row — to paddle
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. prune — to trim
  22. track — a song
  23. chip — to eat
  24. prune — to trim

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