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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
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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 · bark · tube · board · trunk · mate · racket · season

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. board — to get on
  3. bark — to shout
  4. season — of the year
  5. mate — a friend
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. season — in sport
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. board — a committee
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. tube — a container
  21. mate — a partner
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. racket — for tennis

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