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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 124 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. content — the amount
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. board — a committee
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. suit — clothes
  7. race — humankind
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. toast — bread
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. spell — magic
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. race — a contest
  18. suit — in cards
  19. content — happy
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bark — to shout
  24. race — the arms race

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