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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cue — a signal
  11. board — to get on
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bark — to shout
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. club — for golf
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cue — for pool
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. club — a group
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cue — a hint
  24. ball — a dance

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