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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 is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. chip — to eat
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pitch — completely
  8. land — ground
  9. bark — to shout
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. land — to come down
  13. chip — for betting
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. perch — the fish
  17. board — a committee
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. firm — decided
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. board — to get on
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pitch — a sports field

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