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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. board — to get on
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bark — to shout
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. court — of law
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. court — of a king
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. court — for sport
  21. board — a committee
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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