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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 116 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. chair — a leader
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. board — a committee
  8. fine — all right
  9. board — to get on
  10. hand — in cards
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bark — to shout
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. hand — help
  18. fine — high quality
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. band — a music group
  22. dip — to sink
  23. band — a ring
  24. chair — to sit 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