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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: bark · board · shower · bay · date · march · row · bank

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bank — of a river
  3. march — the month
  4. row — a line
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. march — the month
  11. bank — for money
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bark — to shout
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. shower — rain
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bank — for money
  22. board — a committee
  23. march — music
  24. bay — a horse colour

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