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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fine — all right
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fine — high quality
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. tube — a container
  14. bark — to shout
  15. foot — a measure
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wound — an injury
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rest — a break

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