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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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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: fan · board · season · mark · nail · bat · bark · rock

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. season — of the year
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rock — music
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bat — the animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. season — in sport
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rock — a stone
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. fan — a supporter

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