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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. board — a committee
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bear — the animal
  19. board — to get on
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. object — a thing
  24. wound — an injury

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