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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. band — a ring
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. board — a committee
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. band — a music group
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. deal — to handle
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. board — to get on

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