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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. fall — to drop
  2. rule — a law
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. court — of a king
  5. present — there
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. court — for sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. present — the time now
  10. board — to get on
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fall — to drop
  14. court — of law
  15. fall — the season
  16. rule — government
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pitch — completely
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. present — a gift
  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