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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bass — low music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. court — for sport
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. court — of a king
  12. bark — to shout
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bass — the fish
  17. craft — boats
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mug — a face
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. court — of law
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bass — the instrument

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