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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. board — a committee
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. fork — in a road
  16. band — a music group
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mug — a face
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — government
  21. mug — a cup
  22. board — to get on
  23. band — a ring
  24. fork — to eat with

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