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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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. bass — the instrument
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. board — to get on
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bass — the fish
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — for paper
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bass — low music
  19. ball — a dance
  20. clip — a video
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mouse — for a computer

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