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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. squash — the sport
  5. board — a committee
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. kick — in football
  10. dip — to sink
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. squash — to crush
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bound — tied together
  23. board — to get on
  24. straw — a straw man

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