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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 120 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. board — a committee
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pop — music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pop — soda
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rest — a break
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bark — to shout
  21. board — to get on
  22. bat — the animal
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pop — to visit

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