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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. scale — size or range
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. toast — bread
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pit — a hole
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bark — to shout
  16. board — a committee
  17. scale — in music
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pit — in a race
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. perch — the fish

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