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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. root — of a word
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bark — to shout
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rule — a law
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. root — of a plant
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rule — government
  17. face — to confront
  18. root — the cause
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wake — a trail
  23. kid — child
  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