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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. board — to get on
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stem — to come from
  6. board — a committee
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bulb — for light
  10. squash — the sport
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bark — to shout
  14. track — a song
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. track — a path
  24. pound — a weight

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