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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. board — a committee
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. chip — to eat
  9. board — to get on
  10. land — ground
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mug — a cup
  16. chip — for betting
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mug — a face
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. swing — in golf
  23. land — a country
  24. bark — to shout

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