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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. drill — army training
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. net — for catching
  7. board — a committee
  8. net — after costs
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. perch — the fish
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. board — to get on
  20. ground — the earth
  21. drill — a practice
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. net — in sport
  24. drill — the tool

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