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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. game — a match
  4. bank — for money
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. sharp — clever
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bank — of a river
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. row — a line
  14. mark — a trace
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mark — a grade
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bark — to shout
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bank — for money

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