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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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468
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: nail · wave · bark · rock · bound · fork · board · pitch

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bound — tied together
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. bound — certain
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rock — music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rock — to move gently

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