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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. board — to get on
  3. club — a group
  4. pop — music
  5. bark — to shout
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pop — soda
  8. track — to keep track
  9. club — for golf
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. dip — to sink
  13. field — for sport
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. track — a path
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. field — farmland
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. field — a subject
  24. board — a committee

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