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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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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: game · board · bark · pop · lean · prune · track · bay

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pop — music
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. board — a committee
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pop — soda
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. track — a path
  15. game — a match
  16. board — to get on
  17. track — a song
  18. game — wild animals
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bark — to shout
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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