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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pass — a permit
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bark — to shout
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cap — a lid
  16. track — to keep track
  17. board — to get on
  18. cap — of ice
  19. track — a song
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pound — to hit hard

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