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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.

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: plane · bark · leaves · season · ruler · bowl · board · capital

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. board — a committee
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. capital — a city
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. season — in sport
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. capital — money
  23. season — of the year
  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