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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: pop · racket · wake · ball · saw · staff · board · bark

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. ball — a great time
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wake — a trail
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pop — soda
  10. staff — a stick
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. board — a committee
  17. staff — employees
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pop — to visit
  20. staff — employees
  21. pop — music
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bark — of a tree

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