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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. board — to get on
  3. perch — the fish
  4. swing — to play on
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bound — certain
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. ball — a great time
  13. board — a committee
  14. bound — tied together
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bark — to shout
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. current — electric
  24. bound — obliged

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