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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
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: ground · chip · bark · net · staff · mate · toast · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mate — to breed
  5. staff — employees
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mate — a friend
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mate — a partner
  12. net — for catching
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bark — to shout
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. ground — crushed
  18. chip — for betting
  19. staff — employees
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. ground — a position
  23. lean — thin
  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