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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. board — a committee
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rock — a stone
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rock — music
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. board — to get on
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. chip — to eat
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bark — to shout
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. cue — a signal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. craft — a skill
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cue — a hint

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