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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: coach · board · racket · bark · bore · fan · pit · bowl

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — to tire
  9. board — a committee
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. board — to get on
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bowl — a dish

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