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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stem — to come from
  5. saw — the tool
  6. board — to get on
  7. saw — the tool
  8. dip — to sink
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bark — to shout
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. net — after costs
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. board — a committee
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. vault — a safe
  24. net — for catching

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