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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bark — to shout
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cue — a signal
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. board — to get on
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fine — all right
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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