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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. object — a thing
  3. ball — a dance
  4. object — an aim
  5. pop — music
  6. board — a committee
  7. row — a line
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. press — newspapers
  13. board — to get on
  14. row — to paddle
  15. object — to protest
  16. drill — a practice
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bark — to shout
  19. drill — army training
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. press — a publisher
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pop — to visit
  24. press — to push

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