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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. march — the month
  7. bark — to shout
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. march — music
  13. track — a song
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. charge — a price
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wake — a trail
  20. charge — electricity
  21. track — a path
  22. march — the month
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. charge — in control

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