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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 116 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: dip · ball · rash · spell · firm · bark · kid · board

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rash — hasty
  4. kid — child
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ball — a dance
  9. board — a committee
  10. rash — a series
  11. ball — a great time
  12. firm — a company
  13. board — to get on
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. kid — to tease

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