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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. board — to get on
  3. chest — of your body
  4. current — of water
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. pop — to visit
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. current — electric
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pop — music
  14. craft — a skill
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. chest — a box
  18. current — happening now
  19. pop — soda
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. craft — boats
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. chest — of your body

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