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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. object — an aim
  10. board — to get on
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bark — to shout
  13. club — a group
  14. season — of the year
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cue — for pool
  17. object — to protest
  18. board — a committee
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. club — for golf
  24. object — a thing

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