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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rock — music
  7. board — a committee
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. board — to get on
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. dip — to sink
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pitch — completely

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