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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stock — shares
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. band — a music group
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rest — a break
  16. stock — goods
  17. board — to get on
  18. band — a ring
  19. bark — to shout
  20. tear — to rip
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. tear — from crying
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stock — a soup base

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