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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
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: ball · row · pit · board · bark · chair · drill · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bark — to shout
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. row — to paddle
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. board — a committee
  11. net — in sport
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. row — a line
  15. drill — a practice
  16. board — to get on
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ball — a dance
  19. drill — army training
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pit — in a race
  22. chair — a leader
  23. ball — a great time
  24. net — after costs

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