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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. board — to get on
  3. pop — soda
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pitch — completely
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pop — music
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. club — for golf
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pop — to visit
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. club — a group
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rush — hurry

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