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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: bark · racket · chip · row · object · ball · face · snap

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. chip — for betting
  3. face — to point toward
  4. ball — a dance
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. object — to protest
  8. bark — to shout
  9. chip — to eat
  10. ball — a great time
  11. object — a thing
  12. face — to confront
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. object — an aim
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. face — part of the head
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. row — a line
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. snap — to click
  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