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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 120 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: board · scale · ground · game · firm · safe · bark · sharp

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. board — to get on
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bark — to shout
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. firm — decided
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. game — a match
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. firm — steady
  17. scale — in music
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. scale — size or range
  20. firm — a company
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. ground — a position
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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