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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. mouse — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. degree — from a university
  5. fork — in a road
  6. drill — a practice
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. degree — temperature
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bear — to put up with
  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