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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.

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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. board — a committee
  4. bark — to shout
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. kid — child
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. prune — to trim
  9. toast — bread
  10. rock — music
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. club — for dancing
  14. board — to get on
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. sharp — clever
  17. club — a group
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rock — a stone
  20. prune — to trim
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. club — for golf
  24. kid — to tease

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