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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bark — to shout
  5. present — there
  6. suit — clothes
  7. board — to get on
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. court — of a king
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. court — for sport
  16. present — a gift
  17. board — a committee
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. court — of law
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. present — the time now

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