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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.

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 · leaves · land · bay · degree · bark · nail · cap

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. land — to come down
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. land — a country
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cap — a hat
  13. land — ground
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cap — a lid
  16. degree — from a university
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cap — of ice
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. nail — on a finger

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