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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 water is too ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. cold — an illness
  6. board — to get on
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pop — soda
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. board — a committee
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bass — low music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. ruler — for measuring

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