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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bark — to shout
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bass — low music
  8. board — to get on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hand — help
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bass — the fish
  13. hand — in cards
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bark — of a tree

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