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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bay · bark · straw · game · staff · board · bowl · pitcher

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. board — to get on
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. staff — employees
  12. game — wild animals
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. board — a committee
  16. staff — employees
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. game — a match

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