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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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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: bowl · chip · leaves · fine · ground · bark · bear · can

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. ground — crushed
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. can — a tin
  5. ground — a position
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fine — high quality
  10. can — to be able to
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. can — a tin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bark — to shout
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. fine — all right

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