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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bore — to tire
  8. board — to get on
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pop — soda
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. band — a music group
  15. pop — to visit
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. band — a ring
  19. pop — music
  20. bore — to drill
  21. firm — a company
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fork — in a road
  24. squash — the 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