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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. date — the fruit
  14. board — a committee
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bark — to shout
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wax — for sculpting

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