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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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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: racket · current · lean · season · pound · bark · board · ball

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. current — electric
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. season — in sport
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pound — a weight
  12. ball — a great time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. season — of the year
  16. lean — to bend
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. current — of water
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. board — to get on
  23. current — happening now
  24. board — a committee

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