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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 116 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: bark · club · saw · wave · pound · file · chip · firm

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. firm — decided
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. file — a document
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. firm — a company
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. file — a tool
  14. firm — steady
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. file — a line of people
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. club — for golf
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. chip — for betting

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