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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: ground · chip · pit · bark · chair · bowl · dip · stick

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. ground — a position
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ground — the earth
  6. chair — a leader
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pit — in a race
  10. chip — to eat
  11. ground — crushed
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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