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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fall — the season
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fall — to drop
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fall — to drop
  12. march — the month
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. march — the month
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ball — a dance
  17. board — to get on
  18. march — music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bark — to shout
  24. ruler — for measuring

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