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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. current — electric
  4. can — a tin
  5. board — a committee
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wound — an injury
  8. current — happening now
  9. board — to get on
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. can — a tin
  17. toast — bread
  18. current — of water
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. content — happy
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bark — to shout

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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