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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pit — in a race
  5. club — for dancing
  6. chip — to eat
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. roll — a cake
  11. chip — for betting
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pit — a hole
  14. club — for golf
  15. roll — a list
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stem — to come from
  24. craft — boats

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