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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: board · bass · vault · bark · pound · field · bay · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. board — to get on
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bass — the fish
  12. object — an aim
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. bass — low music
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. field — farmland
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. board — a committee

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