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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mate — to breed
  3. board — a committee
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — a list
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bark — to shout
  16. drill — army training
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. drill — a practice
  20. board — to get on
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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