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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. club — a group
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pit — a hole
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. last — to go on
  10. club — for golf
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. board — a committee
  14. last — final
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. deal — to handle
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. last — finally
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pit — in a race
  24. board — to get on

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