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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. row — to paddle
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. court — of law
  13. row — a line
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. scale — size or range
  17. court — for sport
  18. chip — to eat
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. scale — in music
  23. court — of a king
  24. ruler — for measuring

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