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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. file — a document
  3. tube — a container
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. board — a committee
  6. file — a line of people
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. board — to get on
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. file — a tool
  13. ground — crushed
  14. lean — thin
  15. current — happening now
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. stand — on your feet

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