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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. field — for sport
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bound — obliged
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chip — for betting
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bark — to shout
  13. plane — a tool
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. field — a subject
  18. ground — a position
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bound — certain
  21. field — farmland
  22. ground — the earth
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wake — before a funeral

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