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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.

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: chip · rash · land · foot · pitch · hand · rest · bark

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rash — a series
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rest — a break
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. chip — for betting
  17. foot — a measure
  18. land — a country
  19. rest — what's left
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pitch — completely

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