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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. board — to get on
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. season — of the year
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. board — a committee
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pound — a weight
  13. season — in sport
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mate — a partner
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. file — a document
  22. mate — a friend
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pound — for dogs

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