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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. object — to protest
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. court — for sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. object — a thing
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. object — an aim
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. board — to get on
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cue — a signal

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