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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bat — the animal
  4. squash — to crush
  5. season — in sport
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. lean — thin
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lean — to bend
  15. club — a group
  16. board — to get on
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. board — a committee
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. row — a line
  22. club — for golf
  23. squash — the sport
  24. season — of the year

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