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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.

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: kick · board · rash · mine · sharp · pop · bark · squash

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rash — hasty
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rash — a series
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pop — music
  12. board — to get on
  13. pop — soda
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mine — for digging
  16. squash — the sport
  17. sharp — clever
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. board — a committee
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. squash — the vegetable

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