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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 · saw · calf · ground · pop · bank · toast · board

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bank — for money
  3. board — a committee
  4. ground — a position
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pop — music
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pop — soda
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bark — to shout
  19. ground — crushed
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pop — to visit
  24. toast — bread

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