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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. band — a ring
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chip — to eat
  12. land — to come down
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. band — a music group
  16. land — ground
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mark — a grade
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. land — a country

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