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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. last — finally
  6. current — happening now
  7. drill — the tool
  8. current — electric
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. board — to get on
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. current — of water
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. degree — temperature
  15. drill — a practice
  16. wake — a trail
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bark — to shout
  20. last — final
  21. degree — an amount
  22. drill — army training
  23. bore — to drill
  24. last — to go on

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