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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mate — a friend
  3. saw — the tool
  4. board — a committee
  5. ball — a great time
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mate — to breed
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rule — government
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. board — to get on
  15. mate — a partner
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rule — a law
  18. content — happy
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bark — to shout
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. content — the amount

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