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

Word bank: leaves · stick · bay · chip · bark · race · drill · land

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. drill — a practice
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. race — a contest
  6. bark — to shout
  7. race — the arms race
  8. drill — the tool
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. race — humankind
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. drill — army training
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. land — ground
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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