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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · chip · squash · dip · club · march · foot · leaves

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. squash — to crush
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. squash — the sport
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bark — to shout
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. club — for dancing
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. club — for golf
  17. chip — to eat
  18. club — a group
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. march — music

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