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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. court — of law
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. court — for sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. court — of a king
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. can — a tin
  13. board — a committee
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. scale — in music
  21. can — a tin
  22. bark — to shout
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. scale — size or range

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