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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
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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: board · track · object · degree · mark · bass · bark · temple

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bark — to shout
  3. track — a song
  4. object — an aim
  5. mark — a trace
  6. track — a path
  7. object — to protest
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bass — low music
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. degree — an amount
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mark — a grade
  20. object — a thing
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. board — to get on
  24. temple — a place of worship

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