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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · bark · patient · roll · board · staff · bowl · wake

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. roll — a cake
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. staff — employees
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. staff — employees
  19. board — a committee
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. racket — a loud noise

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