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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. club — a group
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bank — for money
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bark — to shout
  9. chip — to eat
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. dip — to sink
  17. perch — the fish
  18. lean — thin
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. perch — for a bird

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