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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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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. last — final
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rest — a break
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. board — a committee
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. last — finally
  18. rest — what's left
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. last — to go on
  22. board — to get on
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bowl — to roll

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