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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. scale — in music
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. season — in sport
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. season — of the year
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. scale — size or range
  10. board — a committee
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. date — the fruit
  13. face — to confront
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. face — part of the head

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