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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 has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ball — a great time
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pitch — completely
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bark — to shout
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. ground — a position
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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