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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: safe · cell · bark · nail · wound · board · pitch · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bark — to shout
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wound — an injury
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. board — to get on
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. board — a committee
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cell — in a prison

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