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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bark — to shout
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. season — in sport
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. season — of the year
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. board — to get on
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. board — a committee

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