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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: race · rock · board · content · bore · bark · bowl · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. content — happy
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bound — obliged
  12. race — humankind
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. board — a committee
  19. content — the amount
  20. board — to get on
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. race — a contest

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