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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.

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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: leaves · row · suit · bark · lean · board · bat · track

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. suit — to fit
  4. board — to get on
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. board — a committee
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. suit — clothes
  13. track — a song
  14. suit — in cards
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bark — to shout
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lean — thin
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. row — a line
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. track — a path

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