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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bear — the animal
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rash — a series
  5. bear — the animal
  6. board — to get on
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. kid — to tease
  12. rule — a law
  13. board — a committee
  14. kid — child
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bark — to shout
  22. fork — in a road
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rule — government

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