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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. tube — a container
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — to shout
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rash — hasty
  13. current — of water
  14. rock — music
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. current — electric
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. capital — money
  19. rock — a stone
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. current — happening now
  22. capital — a city
  23. rash — a series
  24. jam — in traffic

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