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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. board — to get on
  4. present — a gift
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. field — for sport
  7. present — there
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. swing — in golf
  11. field — farmland
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. swing — to play on
  14. field — a subject
  15. board — a committee
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. swing — music
  24. present — the time now

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