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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pitch — completely
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. board — a committee
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rash — hasty
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rash — a series
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bark — to shout
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. board — to get on
  24. patient — a sick person

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