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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. board — a committee
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. season — of the year
  9. roll — a list
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — in sport
  15. board — to get on
  16. land — ground
  17. face — to point toward
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bear — the animal
  20. face — to confront
  21. land — to come down
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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