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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 116 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bark — to shout
  3. court — of law
  4. lie — to recline
  5. band — a music group
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. court — for sport
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. club — for golf
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. club — a group
  15. board — to get on
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. court — of a king
  18. club — for dancing
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kick — in football
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. band — a ring

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