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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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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bark — to shout
  5. charge — a price
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. board — a committee
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. club — for golf
  10. charge — electricity
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. club — for dancing
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. club — a group
  16. charge — in control
  17. stem — of a plant
  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