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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: board · face · bark · stand · pound · lean · kick · court

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. kick — in football
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pound — a weight
  8. lean — thin
  9. court — of a king
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. board — a committee
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bark — to shout
  19. lean — to bend
  20. face — part of the head
  21. board — to get on
  22. stand — to bear
  23. face — to confront
  24. board — a flat piece

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