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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · roll · bore · bowl · field · bark · board · bay

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. roll — a cake
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. field — for sport
  8. board — a committee
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. field — farmland
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. field — a subject
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. board — to get on
  21. roll — a list
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  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