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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bark — to shout
  3. ground — a position
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. mate — to breed
  10. present — there
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. board — to get on
  14. bound — certain
  15. ground — the earth
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bound — tied together
  18. board — a committee
  19. present — a gift
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mate — a friend
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. present — the time now

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