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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bound — tied together
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. band — a ring
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. club — for golf
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. board — to get on
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bound — certain
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. club — a group
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bound — obliged
  21. club — for dancing
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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