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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: calf · arm · board · pop · charge · key · bat · bark

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. charge — in control
  8. key — in music
  9. charge — a price
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pop — music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pop — soda
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. board — a committee
  21. bat — the animal
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bark — to shout
  24. calf — a young animal

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