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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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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 · board · wave · bass · drill · pound · row · present

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. present — the time now
  9. pound — a weight
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. present — a gift
  14. board — a committee
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. board — to get on
  17. row — a line
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. fork — in a road
  21. present — there
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bass — 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