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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. staff — a stick
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. scale — size or range
  5. firm — steady
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. board — a committee
  11. staff — employees
  12. content — the amount
  13. staff — employees
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. scale — in music
  16. firm — a company
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. board — to get on
  19. firm — decided
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. content — happy
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bark — to shout
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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