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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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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: bark · capital · bowl · board · rush · saw · rock · cue

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. capital — money
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. board — a committee
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cue — for pool
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. board — to get on
  17. capital — a city
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rock — to move gently

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