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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. swing — music
  3. track — a path
  4. swing — to play on
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. chip — for betting
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. ball — a dance
  11. suit — to fit
  12. track — a song
  13. tube — a container
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bark — to shout
  18. swing — in golf
  19. ball — a great time
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chip — in a computer

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