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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. swing — music
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. board — to get on
  8. mug — to rob
  9. race — the arms race
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mug — a face
  14. race — humankind
  15. bark — to shout
  16. kick — in football
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cap — a hat
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pitch — completely
  22. swing — to play on
  23. race — a contest
  24. cap — of ice

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