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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 116 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: ball · bound · scale · rash · bark · board · ruler · sharp

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. board — to get on
  2. ball — a dance
  3. scale — size or range
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ball — a great time
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. scale — in music
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bound — certain
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rash — hasty
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rash — a series
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. board — a committee
  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