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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: branch · roll · track · board · wind · dip · bark · stand

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. roll — a list
  10. wind — moving air
  11. track — a song
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. branch — a division
  14. board — a committee
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. track — a path
  20. bark — to shout
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wind — moving air
  23. dip — to sink
  24. roll — a cake

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