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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. board — to get on
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. board — a committee
  4. bear — the animal
  5. row — a line
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. row — to paddle
  10. march — music
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. march — the month
  13. staff — employees
  14. march — the month
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rush — hurry
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rush — a thrill
  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