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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. chest — a box
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — to shout
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. board — a committee
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pit — in a race

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