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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 116 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. current — electric
  6. club — for golf
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. current — happening now
  10. club — for dancing
  11. land — a country
  12. staff — a stick
  13. current — of water
  14. root — the cause
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bark — to shout
  17. club — a group
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. staff — employees
  21. land — to come down
  22. staff — employees
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. land — ground

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