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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. land — to come down
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bear — the animal
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. file — a document

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