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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: lie · pop · stand · pit · bark · chip · arm · deal

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pop — music
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bark — to shout
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. pit — in a race
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pop — soda
  24. stand — to bear

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