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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. board — to get on
  3. wake — a trail
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wound — an injury
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. board — a committee
  9. ball — a dance
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pop — soda
  12. bark — to shout
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pop — to visit
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pop — music

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