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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: sharp · board · racket · coach · bark · lie · pitcher · arm

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. board — to get on
  8. sharp — clever
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. board — a committee
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lie — to recline
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. board — a flat piece

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