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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bark — to shout
  3. face — to confront
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. ground — crushed
  10. last — to go on
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. last — finally
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. craft — a skill
  16. board — to get on
  17. last — final
  18. face — to point toward
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. ground — a position
  24. craft — boats

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