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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. board — a committee
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. race — humankind
  7. scale — in music
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. bark — to shout
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. race — a contest
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. race — the arms race
  15. scale — size or range
  16. board — to get on
  17. rash — a series
  18. staff — a stick
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. rash — hasty

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