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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. board — a committee
  4. craft — a skill
  5. cue — a signal
  6. field — a subject
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bound — tied together
  10. field — farmland
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. field — for sport
  14. craft — boats
  15. board — to get on
  16. press — to push
  17. cue — for pool
  18. press — a publisher
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. current — happening now
  21. bound — certain
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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