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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mate — a partner
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pop — soda
  5. board — a committee
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. board — to get on
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bark — to shout
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mate — to breed

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