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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: branch · bark · saw · bowl · key · ground · object · board

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. board — to get on
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ground — crushed
  5. key — in music
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. key — the most important part
  14. object — to protest
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. object — a thing
  17. saw — the tool
  18. object — an aim
  19. bark — to shout
  20. key — for a lock
  21. branch — a division
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. board — a committee
  24. ground — the earth

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