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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · bowl · bark · board · wind · pit

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pit — in a race
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bark — to shout
  10. board — a committee
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. board — to get on
  18. bowl — a football final

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