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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · rule · bark · board · mark · spring · swing · suit

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. board — to get on
  3. bark — to shout
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rule — a law
  6. board — a committee
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. spring — the season
  11. swing — music
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. suit — clothes
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rule — government
  19. swing — to play on
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. suit — to fit
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mark — a grade

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