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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. toast — bread
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. board — a committee
  11. cap — a lid
  12. board — to get on
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rock — music
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cold — not warm

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