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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 120 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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. spell — letters
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bark — to shout
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. march — the month
  14. pitch — completely
  15. march — the month
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. suit — to fit
  19. march — music
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. board — a committee

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