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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rash — a series
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. vault — a safe
  5. ball — a dance
  6. squash — the sport
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rash — hasty
  13. craft — boats
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. craft — a skill
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. ball — a great time
  19. board — a committee
  20. ground — a position
  21. bark — to shout
  22. board — to get on
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rash — on the skin

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