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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. net — in sport
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cell — in biology
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bark — to shout
  9. row — to paddle
  10. board — a committee
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. board — to get on
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cell — a phone
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. net — after costs
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mark — a trace
  19. row — a line
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. net — for catching
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. wave — of the sea

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