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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: spell · chip · bark · temple · stock · row · arm · swing

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. spell — letters
  7. row — to paddle
  8. spell — magic
  9. row — a line
  10. swing — to play on
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bark — to shout
  14. swing — in golf
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. chip — to eat
  24. swing — 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