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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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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: wind · stick · ball · pound · board · bark · plane · content

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. content — happy
  8. wind — moving air
  9. board — to get on
  10. content — the amount
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bark — to shout
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. ball — a great time
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. board — a committee
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wind — moving air
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ball — a dance

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