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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. court — for sport
  3. bound — tied together
  4. race — humankind
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bound — obliged
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bound — certain
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. court — of law
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. race — the arms race
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. court — of a king
  22. board — a committee
  23. bear — the animal
  24. race — a contest

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