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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. game — wild animals
  3. staff — employees
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. game — a match
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bark — to shout
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bass — the fish
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bass — low music
  24. chair — a leader

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