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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mug — a face
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rock — a stone
  13. chip — to eat
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rock — music
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mug — a cup

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