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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 120 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. march — the month
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rock — music
  8. stand — to bear
  9. board — a committee
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — to get on
  19. march — music
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. march — the month
  24. bark — to shout

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