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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stock — shares
  3. chair — a leader
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fork — in a road
  8. board — to get on
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. board — a committee
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cue — for pool
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. date — the fruit
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cue — a hint
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bark — to shout

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