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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. board — to get on
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bank — for money
  6. pop — music
  7. bank — for money
  8. game — a match
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rock — music
  11. game — wild animals
  12. net — for catching
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pop — soda
  17. bank — of a river
  18. lean — thin
  19. bark — to shout
  20. board — a committee
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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