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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 120 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 · rock · stick · bowl · bark · charge · race · bound

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. board — to get on
  4. bound — obliged
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. charge — in control
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. race — the arms race
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. race — humankind
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. board — a committee
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rock — music
  21. bound — certain
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. race — a contest
  24. charge — a price

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