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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. file — a document
  4. board — to get on
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bat — the animal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mate — a friend
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mate — a partner
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mate — to breed

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