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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. face — part of the head
  3. board — to get on
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. ball — a dance
  7. face — to confront
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. dip — to sink
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rush — hurry
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. ball — a great time

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