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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. board — to get on
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. board — a committee
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bark — to shout
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ball — a great time
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bark — of a tree

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