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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. can — to be able to
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cell — a phone
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. vault — a safe
  20. can — a tin
  21. bear — the animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. chip — for betting
  24. board — a committee

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