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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mine — for digging
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bark — to shout
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. spring — the season
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. club — for golf
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. spring — of water
  18. board — a committee
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. spring — a coil

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