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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. board — to get on
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bark — to shout
  6. spring — of water
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. track — a song
  15. chip — for betting
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. track — to keep track
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. track — a path
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. board — a committee
  24. pit — in a race

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