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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. present — a gift
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stock — shares
  5. board — to get on
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mate — a friend
  10. present — the time now
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. board — a committee
  15. present — there
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stock — goods
  18. mate — to breed
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. suit — clothes
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mate — a partner
  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