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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

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

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