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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. board — a committee
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pop — soda
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. drill — the tool
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. pop — music
  18. drill — army training
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. deal — an agreement
  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