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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. board — a committee
  6. object — a thing
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bark — to shout
  10. board — to get on
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wake — a trail
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. object — an aim
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. object — to protest
  24. pound — a weight

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