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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: branch · vault · pound · spell · bark · board · toast · row

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bark — to shout
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. spell — magic
  11. row — a line
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. spell — a short time
  16. row — to paddle
  17. spell — letters
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. branch — a division
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. board — to get on
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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