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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. board — a committee
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. board — to get on
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. track — a song
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. track — a path
  19. kid — child
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. sharp — clever
  24. track — to keep track

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