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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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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 · chip · bound · fine · temple · ground · calf · mug

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bound — obliged
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fine — all right
  12. mug — a face
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ground — a position
  15. chip — for betting
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bound — certain
  22. mug — to rob
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bark — of a tree

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