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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. board — a committee
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. rest — a break
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. spring — the season
  14. pop — soda
  15. wind — moving air
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rest — what's left
  19. board — to get on
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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