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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ground — the earth
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. drill — army training
  8. kick — in football
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. drill — the tool
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. board — a committee
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bark — to shout
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. file — a document
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. ground — a position
  24. drill — a practice

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