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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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. pit — a fruit stone
  4. shower — rain
  5. pit — in a race
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bound — obliged
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pit — a hole
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bark — to shout
  13. scale — in music
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. board — a committee
  16. bound — tied together
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mark — a trace
  19. craft — a skill
  20. shower — to wash
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bound — certain
  23. craft — boats
  24. mark — to pay attention

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