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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: current · bark · game · lash · sharp · plane · court · board

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. plane — a tool
  7. board — a committee
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. sharp — clever
  10. current — of water
  11. court — of a king
  12. current — electric
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. court — of law
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. game — a match
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. board — to get on
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. court — for sport
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. current — happening now
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bark — to shout

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