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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. can — to be able to
  6. board — to get on
  7. bark — to shout
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. board — a committee
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pound — a weight
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rush — hurry
  17. can — a tin
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. can — a tin
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pound — to hit hard

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