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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. board — to get on
  3. net — for catching
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. net — after costs
  6. swing — in golf
  7. land — ground
  8. land — to come down
  9. swing — to play on
  10. land — a country
  11. hand — help
  12. board — a committee
  13. hand — in cards
  14. swing — music
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. suit — in cards
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. suit — clothes
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. net — in sport

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