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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. board — a committee
  6. staff — employees
  7. cell — in biology
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pop — to visit
  14. key — in music
  15. pop — soda
  16. bound — certain
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pop — music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. board — to get on
  23. staff — employees
  24. ruler — for measuring

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