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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  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. bark — to shout
  2. craft — boats
  3. cold — not warm
  4. capital — money
  5. cold — an illness
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. march — the month
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. charge — in control
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. march — music
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. board — to get on
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. march — the month
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. capital — a city
  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