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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. mark — a grade
  9. march — the month
  10. board — a committee
  11. current — happening now
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. march — the month
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. march — music
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mark — a trace
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. board — to get on
  24. cabinet — ministers

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