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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: tube · face · foot · pop · board · bowl · bark · pitch

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. board — a committee
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. face — to point toward
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. face — to confront
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pop — soda
  24. board — to get on

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