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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bark — to shout
  3. clip — for paper
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. clip — a video
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bound — obliged
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pop — music
  12. court — of law
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. craft — boats
  15. court — of a king
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pop — to visit
  18. court — for sport
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pop — soda
  23. bound — certain
  24. ruler — a monarch

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