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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. board — to get on
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rock — music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ground — a position
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rock — a stone
  18. scale — in music
  19. board — a committee
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bark — to shout
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. scale — for weighing

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