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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pop — to visit
  3. dip — to sink
  4. firm — a company
  5. march — the month
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pop — music
  9. firm — steady
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. field — a subject
  15. march — the month
  16. board — to get on
  17. firm — decided
  18. field — for sport
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. field — farmland
  21. rock — a stone
  22. board — a committee
  23. march — music
  24. bark — of a tree

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