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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. board — to get on
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. club — a group
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. squash — to crush
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rash — a series
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pop — music
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mate — a friend
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. club — for golf
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. squash — the sport
  22. board — a committee
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pop — soda

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