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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. object — an aim
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. object — a thing
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. stem — to come from
  17. object — to protest
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. kid — child
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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