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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.

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: bowl · cap · mark · bark · dip · wound · mug · chip

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mug — a face
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cap — a lid
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cap — of ice
  17. chip — for betting
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wound — an injury
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. chip — to eat

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