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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 120 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: firm · deal · clip · race · board · bark · present · squash

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. present — there
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. clip — to cut
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. firm — decided
  7. race — humankind
  8. firm — a company
  9. board — a committee
  10. present — the time now
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. clip — a video
  13. deal — to handle
  14. clip — for paper
  15. race — the arms race
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. race — a contest
  20. squash — to crush
  21. board — to get on
  22. present — a gift
  23. firm — steady
  24. squash — the sport

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