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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. board — to get on
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. shower — to wash
  6. firm — decided
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. shower — rain
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bark — to shout
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. board — a committee
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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