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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. date — the fruit
  5. tube — a container
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. tube — the underground
  9. board — a committee
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. game — a match
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. board — to get on
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cue — a signal
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bowl — a dish

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