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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
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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: staff · nail · bear · chip · land · fork · shower · bark

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bark — to shout
  4. staff — employees
  5. shower — to wash
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fork — in a road
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bear — the animal
  11. staff — a stick
  12. land — to come down
  13. staff — employees
  14. land — ground
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. shower — rain
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. land — a country
  24. bark — of a tree

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