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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. toast — bread
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bore — to tire
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. sharp — clever
  11. chip — for betting
  12. branch — a division
  13. roll — a list
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. roll — a cake
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bore — to drill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. sharp — with an edge

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