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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 124 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rush — hurry
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. board — to get on
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bark — to shout
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. pit — in a race
  19. game — a match
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. game — wild animals

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