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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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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ground — the earth
  4. board — to get on
  5. stand — to bear
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. root — the cause
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. capital — a city
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. capital — money
  12. board — a committee
  13. vault — a safe
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bark — to shout
  16. fine — all right
  17. ground — a position
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. ground — crushed
  21. root — of a word
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. root — of a plant
  24. board — a flat piece

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