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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. shower — rain
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. roll — a list
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. roll — a cake
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rock — music
  14. board — a committee
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bound — certain
  21. pitch — completely
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. shower — to wash
  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