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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: stick · capital · ground · wake · bark · squash · board · bank

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bark — to shout
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. board — a committee
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ground — a position
  12. board — to get on
  13. bank — for money
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wake — a trail
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a city
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bank — for money

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