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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 120 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: land · bark · current · mouse · racket · sharp · fall · board

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. land — a country
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fall — the season
  6. current — happening now
  7. board — to get on
  8. current — of water
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. current — electric
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bark — to shout
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. board — a committee

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