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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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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: board · club · bark · tube · kid · wave · bowl · cap

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. kid — to tease
  4. club — a group
  5. tube — a container
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. board — to get on
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. kid — child
  22. club — for golf
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. tube — the underground

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