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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. board — a committee
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. swing — to play on
  7. wake — a trail
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. swing — music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — to get on

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