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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 116 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. board — to get on
  12. rock — music
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rule — a law
  15. spell — magic
  16. fine — high quality
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. spell — letters
  20. fine — all right
  21. bark — to shout
  22. ball — a dance
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. board — a committee

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