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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rule — a law
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rule — government
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. present — the time now
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. present — a gift
  13. swing — in golf
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cue — for pool
  16. swing — to play on
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. shower — rain
  20. swing — music
  21. present — there
  22. mark — a trace
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. cue — a signal

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