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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. kid — child
  2. chip — for betting
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. capital — money
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. capital — a city
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. suit — in cards
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. suit — clothes
  23. kid — to tease
  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