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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. stock — goods
  3. court — of a king
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. board — to get on
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stock — shares
  12. board — a committee
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bore — to tire
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bore — to drill
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. plane — a tool
  24. safe — out of danger

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