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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. board — to get on
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stand — to bear
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fork — in a road
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. tear — to rip
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. tear — from crying
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. prune — to trim
  24. board — a committee

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