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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
468
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: pitcher · plane · chair · rock · club · board · bark · file

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. club — for golf
  8. file — a document
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. club — a group
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. plane — a tool
  15. chair — a leader
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bark — to shout
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. file — a tool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rock — music

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