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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. court — for sport
  4. chip — to eat
  5. board — to get on
  6. court — of law
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ball — a dance
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. suit — to fit
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. board — a committee
  18. ball — a great time
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. court — of a king
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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