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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. spell — letters
  5. board — to get on
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. board — a committee
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spell — magic
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bark — to shout
  24. arm — part of the body

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