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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 120 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. root — of a word
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. chip — for betting
  8. track — a path
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. track — a song
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. root — the cause
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. snap — to click
  21. vault — a safe
  22. root — of a plant
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. track — to keep track

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