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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. bank — for money
  4. row — a line
  5. bark — to shout
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. field — farmland
  8. band — a music group
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. band — a ring
  11. field — for sport
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. row — to paddle
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. field — a subject

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