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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. cap — a lid
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. board — a committee
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. foot — a measure
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cap — a hat
  23. board — to get on
  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