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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 120 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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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: bark · rock · board · mate · pitch · bowl · temple · fan

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. board — a committee
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — music
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mate — to breed
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. board — to get on
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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