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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bark — to shout
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pop — soda
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bound — tied together
  10. board — a committee
  11. charge — electricity
  12. board — to get on
  13. charge — a price
  14. ball — a dance
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pop — music
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bound — obliged
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bound — certain
  23. charge — in control
  24. perch — for a bird

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