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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. court — of a king
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. capital — a city
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pitch — completely
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. court — for sport
  10. board — a committee
  11. bark — to shout
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pass — a permit
  14. capital — money
  15. court — of law
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pass — to succeed

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