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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.

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: present · track · staff · club · wax · perch · board · bark

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. club — for golf
  6. wax — to grow
  7. club — a group
  8. present — there
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bark — to shout
  12. present — a gift
  13. board — to get on
  14. track — a song
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. present — the time now
  17. track — to keep track
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. track — a path
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. perch — the fish

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