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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: date · file · squash · bark · perch · wake · object · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. file — a tool
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. squash — to crush
  11. perch — the fish
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a document
  14. date — the fruit
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wake — a trail
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. bark — to shout
  23. squash — the sport
  24. object — a thing

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