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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. land — a country
  5. stock — shares
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. cap — a lid
  8. board — to get on
  9. cap — of ice
  10. object — a thing
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. object — an aim
  13. game — wild animals
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. toast — bread
  17. bark — to shout
  18. object — to protest
  19. cap — a hat
  20. land — to come down
  21. stock — goods
  22. land — ground
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. game — a match

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