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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pop — music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — a committee
  10. pop — soda
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bound — obliged
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bound — certain
  23. board — to get on
  24. pop — to visit

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