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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. board — a committee
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bark — to shout
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. vault — a safe
  9. board — to get on
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. game — a match
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. branch — a division
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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