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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. root — of a word
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. root — the cause
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bark — to shout
  9. can — a tin
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. bank — of a river
  13. can — a tin
  14. bank — for money
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rule — a law
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bank — for money
  21. pound — a weight
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. root — of a plant

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