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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. craft — boats
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. court — of a king
  9. race — the arms race
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. craft — a skill
  12. race — a contest
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bark — to shout
  15. field — a subject
  16. race — humankind
  17. field — farmland
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. board — to get on
  20. court — of law
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. court — for sport
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. field — for sport

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