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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. club — for golf
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rock — a stone
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. fine — high quality
  13. club — a group
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rock — music
  16. club — for dancing
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. tear — to rip
  22. board — to get on
  23. fine — all right
  24. tear — from crying

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