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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bark — to shout
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. march — the month
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bore — to drill
  15. march — the month
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bore — to tire
  18. court — of a king
  19. march — music
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. board — a committee
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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