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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mate — a partner
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. season — in sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mark — a trace
  12. board — a committee
  13. bark — to shout
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. mate — to breed
  20. court — for sport
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mate — a friend
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bark — of a tree

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