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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 · mate · staff · board · ground · wave · ball · net

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. net — for catching
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. net — after costs
  9. ground — the earth
  10. staff — employees
  11. board — to get on
  12. bark — to shout
  13. staff — employees
  14. ground — crushed
  15. board — a committee
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. ball — a great time
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mate — a friend
  21. net — in sport
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. ground — a position
  24. wave — of the sea

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