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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. mate — a partner
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. board — a committee
  10. land — ground
  11. bark — to shout
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. spell — magic
  14. mate — to breed
  15. cell — a phone
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. deal — to handle
  19. board — to get on
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. board — a flat piece

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