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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bark — to shout
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. spring — the season
  6. club — for golf
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. spring — a coil
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. tear — from crying
  13. club — a group
  14. spring — of water
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. tear — to rip
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. club — for dancing
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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