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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. squash — the sport
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bark — to shout
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stock — shares
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. board — a committee
  17. degree — temperature
  18. board — to get on
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rush — hurry
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stock — goods
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mouse — for a computer

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