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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. spring — of water
  6. present — a gift
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. spell — a short time
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. spell — magic
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. present — there
  18. spell — letters
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. present — the time now

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