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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. swing — music
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rest — what's left
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rest — a break
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. ball — a great time
  22. board — a committee
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ground — the earth

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