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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. content — the amount
  3. current — happening now
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cap — a hat
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. current — of water
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cap — of ice
  12. board — to get on
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bound — certain
  16. cue — for pool
  17. current — electric
  18. board — a committee
  19. content — happy
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bound — obliged

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