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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · straw · chip · bound · bark · board · lie · race

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. board — a committee
  3. race — humankind
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. race — a contest
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bound — certain
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bound — tied together

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