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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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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 · safe · bark · field · squash · jam · pound · last

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. field — for sport
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pound — a weight
  9. field — a subject
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. last — to go on
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. field — farmland
  14. last — final
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bark — to shout
  20. last — finally
  21. squash — to crush
  22. board — a committee
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. board — to get on

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