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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bark — to shout
  3. board — to get on
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. rush — hurry
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. branch — a division
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. date — the fruit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chair — a leader
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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