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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: swing · jam · squash · bark · foot · board · staff · wax

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. staff — employees
  3. bark — to shout
  4. board — a committee
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. foot — a measure
  8. staff — a stick
  9. swing — music
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. staff — employees
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the 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