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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 116 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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. board — to get on
  5. ball — a dance
  6. swing — music
  7. can — a tin
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stock — goods
  10. can — a tin
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bark — to shout
  15. kid — to tease
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. board — a committee
  21. stock — shares
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bark — of a tree

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