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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 120 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 · bound · suit · mouse · dip · chip · perch · last

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bound — certain
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bound — obliged
  6. last — finally
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. last — to go on
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. chip — to eat
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. last — final
  21. dip — to sink
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bound — tied together
  24. perch — for a bird

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