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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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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: chip · bark · current · mark · bay · row · object · stem

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. chip — for betting
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. current — of water
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. row — a line
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mark — a trace
  18. current — happening now
  19. object — a thing
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. current — electric
  22. object — to protest
  23. bark — to shout
  24. chip — in a computer

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