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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: fork · pound · bark · bank · wake · bass · board · face

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. face — to confront
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wake — a trail
  10. face — to point toward
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bank — for money
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bass — low music
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bank — for money
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fork — to eat with

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