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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bark — to shout
  4. board — to get on
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. board — a committee
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. spring — the season
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rule — a law
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rule — government
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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